DEPLETED CITY STAFF

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 16, 13 October 1927, Page 10

DEPLETED CITY STAFF

STRENGTHENING URGED

Concern is expressed in the city at the failure of the City Council to strengthen the depleted staff of the City Engineer’s Department. “As stated in The Dominion, Mr. C. Brigham, the previous assistant city engineer, retired over twelve months ago, while it is half that period since Mr. J. M. Morice, who was assistant engineer, and in charge of the waterworks and drainage, went upon the superannuation list,” said a prominent citizen yesterday. “Yet, though the demands upon the city engineer’s office have been heavy—necessarily so during the coming of a new engineer and the reorganisations which he has effected—the department remains short of senior officers. It is the more serious because, when approached by citizens with any request involving extra work, the council makes a stock reply that the City Engineer’s Department is already overloaded. Yet there is no at-, tempt made to ease the pressure. “It is devoutly to be hoped that the reports current about the latest position are not correct, and that the office is not being hawked round- the country. Applications have closed, ami surely the council is capable of deciding which of the applicants is suitable. If none of them are, v 'ly does not the council take the proper course and-invite other applications? It is equally to be hoped that there will be no repetitidn of the method adopted in the appointment of the new Citv Valuer, when the position war, advertised at one figure, and the appointee was awarded a higher sal-