HUTT BOROUGH WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 546, 29 June 1909, Page 8

HUTT BOROUGH WORKS.

; THE INQUIRY: BEGUN.' ; • The reports called for by the Hutt Borough' Council on tho initiative of the Mayor (Mr. Bnnny), to show tho true position in' regard to the public works of the borough, and tho accuracy of tho balance-sheet of.tho late council, wero received from -Messrs. Meason and Merchant,: last ovening. Mr* Marchant reported that the. accounts did riot show the truo expenditure on. .' water supply, surface drainage, street improvement, and sewerage in several respects. For instance, the borough, bought a steam roller at about £1091, but charged only £500 of it against, street improvement, tho , balance being to water supply-and sewerage accounts —manifestly a most unfair debit. A charge against thosk accounts of £100 for biro of'tho roller, after opening up. streets would. have been ample. To finish tho s'ewerago works, an additional sum of about £13,000 must be ■ borrowed beyond-'tho unspent balance of the £52,000 loan. Tho contract system, originally, advocated by his firm, was charged by the'council in favour of day labour, and this resulted in, large expenditure for supervision. Mr. Meason also considered tho. supervisory costs of tho day labour syatem made it less satisfactory than tho contract would have been, and he advocated tho letting of the rest of the work, except two; items mentioned, by contract. Ho considered £12,500 additional money would be required to finish the.sewerage works. ; ..... , -~"; The Mayor suggested that ■■ the ' reports should' bo handed to the cngineor (and possibly the Town Clerk, as treasurer), :and that any written replies from them should be in by Thursday. Ho pointed out that between 40 and 50' men, and their families, wero. now dependent on tho borough works, and' their position required consideration. It would.bo impossible, in face of the reports, te go before the ratepayers with a proposal to carry out the scheme in the samo way as now. It might bo worth while to consider whether should not allow tho ratepayers ■to determine, . first of all, the general question of whether thpy would grant any further money to continue the work, and, -if so, whether they should make it a condition that they should ■ proceed by contract, or whethor day labour should proceed. It was a serious position for the 40 or 50 employees if they were thrown out of employment. Somo might, of course, secure employment from the contractor. This was all a matter for serious consideration. Objections were raised to the short time allowed tho two officers affected to reply to tjin reports. ' Tho Mayor replied that ho was tired of tho long dolny which had already taken place, and as the officers had all tho facts at their fingers' ends, he thought tho thru* allowed sufficient. , . . Finally-it was resolved to give them till next Monday, and to consider the reports on tho following Thursday.