TIMBER INSPECTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1179, 14 July 1911, Page 2

TIMBER INSPECTION.

0 : —" REPORT By TIIE_CITY ENGINEER. A report from tho City Engineer villi regard' to a motion passed recently bj tho City Council concerning the inspection of all timber, both old and now, was; read at last night's meeting of the council. Mr. Morton stated that there was, in hie opinion, ample power under the building l/v-kws (or the corporation to deal «. th the timber, whether old or new. .After dealing with the classes of timber in um in Wellington, Mr. Morton went 01 to say that the whole question was as to ho V far the corporation officials should go when inspecting buildings king erected dwelliughouscs. There was no doubt that the greatest offenders were a few eneeula. twAuildere in the city. «J»uU be difficult for a coloration ofhcial to condemn materials in a dwollinghouse«heio tho person erecting same was a nan of 'small means, and who was desirous ot eric us a small and cheap dwelling for hi 3 Mr. Morton thought it was use is to expect that all persons shall bo pomnelled to go to architects for their pans and supervision, although nndourt. odly a person without knowledge of build'ng would bo safeguarded by adopting 1 m method of procedure. He was of opinion hat tho matter would bo easily improved if persons building premises would enEiBO the service- of someone having an expert knowledge of building materials, «ny, some reputable master builder or contractor, to inspect and report to Hie purchaser. the value of tho buildings under consideration. Of course, it might bo difficult when the material was hidden by means of sheathing, paint, paper, and scrim. It would, in his opinion, bo useless to expect that the two building inspectors of tho corporation could satisfac torily inspect the whole of the- timber used throughout Wellington. Kven with a clerk of works permanently engaged or a large building it was extremely dimcult to ensure that the whole, of the material was strictly what had been specified. It could ')o readily recognised how much moro difficult it would he for two inspectors going over tho whole of tho city tq give a satisfactory supervision to the class of building material being used. Tho city engineer had undoubtedly suflicieut power to condemn material which was not strictlv in nccordnnee with the by-lnws. If (lie council desired it, » stridor supervision could be made of th« buildings being erected, moro particularly as regards mntcrinls used. At the sivmt time ho (Mr. Morion) desired to point out that it would be difficult indeed to enforce the provisions of the by-law unless n sufficient number of inspectors were employed for the purpose.