CIVIL ENGINEERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 115, 12 November 1934, Page 11

CIVIL ENGINEERS

LOCAL BODY JOBS <

(Spteial to tno " Evening Post.?)

PALMERSTON N., This Dby.

The opinion that many local bodies in New Zealand had in hand work which could absorb the sorviecs of many qualified civil engineers whej/ were .-it present performing duties Tbclow what their credentials entitled tltem to do was expressed during the conference of members of the North Wellington ■branch of the' Society of Civil Engineers in Palmerston North. The discussion arose out" of ,ah address .delivered concerning the* construction of the new Fitzherbert^Bridge. Mr. A. K. Acheson, assistant Public "Works engineer at Palmerston "North, said that the work on the bridge had justified the appointment of Mir. J. E. 'Menzies as resident engineer, and he thought there were many other- jobs that should be similarly fillcfl. In a tour of the United States he hacfc learned that «v*n jobs costing- only about £10,000 had a chief engineer 'and two assistants. The day of the jclerk of works had gone. Mr. H. H. Sharp, Public Wbrks district engineer at Wellington, said he knew-of .eight^young men{ with jßachclor of Engineering degrees wlio were gangers in a relief camp, alt a time when the average county engineer had not, got sufficient time to got, down on every job in hand. ■If ho asked for assistance- he was thought to be extravagant, - yet the work demanded ciualified help., _ , "Wo should impress it on cwuncils," Mr Sharp added. "Nearly ov/ery cngiGo ' r present could find work Dor one or two young men." County engineers present pointed out Ihat Mr Sharp evidently dicijnot know local bodies and their nUitiuHes as well gs they did-