MR SLINGER'S SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 16516, 30 August 1917, Page 2

MR SLINGER'S SERVICES

PROPOSED CORPORATION APPOINTMENT. , V COUNCIL-DECIDE AGAINST. The City Council considered at a meeting last night the resolution, of a special committee as to the retention of tho services of Mr A. Slinger, tho Drainage Board’s engineer. This resolution read : “That .after giving due consideration to the decision of the Drainage Board, which is practically composed of the members~of this council, and the opinions stated through a deputation of business citizens, for retaining, if possible, the services, of Mr Slinger, your committee recommend that they consider that there is ample scope for our City Engineer’s services in ms present duties. _ It would be to the advantage of our City’s interests that the Drainage Board' retain'Mr Slinger’s set-' vites, and that he, as drainage engineer, be also appointed as consulting . engineer for any* special Work that- this council mav require, such services to be utilised a*s determined between the ! Drainage Board and tho council’s standing, committees interested. We further recommend that kb® engagement bo-at it minimum, salary of CoOO per annum, under tho usual conditions, the Drainage Board to contribute x/ 300, and the City Council £2OO of such amount. In suggesting this amount, your committee arc cognisant of tho fact that we are underestimating tho value of professional services. As_ wo are faced with abnormal times, Mr Slinger is prepared to accept service under'these conditions.” Cr Douglas, in moving the adoption of this resolution, said that the committee had given full consideration to tho matter, and ho was sorry that two members’of the committee (who had come to a unanimous decision in terms of the recommendation) were not present. It had been alleged that this movement was an attempt to try to get rid of the present engineer Nothing was further from the trilth. He had high respect for the engineer, who had great qualifications in many directions. But Mr Slinger, too, had' many great qualifications. The drainage of ihe _iat by him could be accounted a work which saved tho City £2,000' a year. With his able treatment of the outfall, again, he saved tho City, £25,000 or £30,000. Mr Slinger had come here as a ganger on the works. He came oat of the trench when the system was in a mess, and, climbing to the top of the tree, evolved a drainage scheme eminently successful. The committee’s proposal did not contemplate Mr Slinger impinging in any way -upon Mr M'Curdie’s work. But the work of the City was increasing, the engineer was getting older, _ and, the appointment of a consulting engineer would enable any committee to have that officer’s services in drawing up schemes which were considered advisable. For example, he could report fully on the bringing in of water for the baths. All that the council would supply of the salary of £SOO was £2OO, and for this sum they would get tho services of Mr Slinger to provide such reports—a report on a water scheme, for example, or any other scheme. It was well known that Mr Slinger had closely observed our water scheme, and had a‘scheme of his own which would cost about £40,000 or £50,000; and that he was prepared to I guarantee that it .would suffice for the needs of the next 20 years. Tho Lee Stream scherqe would cost £140,000, the interest on which would he £7.000. Surely, before launching out on a scheme like this, they should give themselves the chance to consider a scheme to provide water for £50,000. A sum of £2OO a year should not bo allowed to stand in the way of such a possibility of saving a large- sum of money; and it had to be remembered that the contract proposed was terminable on a month’s notice. As for the drainage side of the contract, it was eminently desirable to have Mr Slinger in charge of the work he knew and ill charge of the storm water work to be done. Cr Scott seconded the motion. Some little time ago a consulting engineer was paid £l5O for reporting on The water system. This would have been saved if they had had a man like Mr Slinger in their, employ. As Cr Douglas said, there wero many other works which should be reported on. Moreover, the storm-water scheme was not complete, and there was drainage work to bo done yet. - "■'Cr Shaeklock opposed the motion. He did not think that it was in the interests of the City or the citizens. The drainage work was now complete for tho present. It was a gravitation system, and no great skill was needed to look after it or dp the small extensions necessary for the next five years. Tho affairs of the Drainage Board should be absolutely co-ordi-nated with those of the City. It was the emphatic wish of the ratepayers that this should be so. Tho Drainage Board \vere_ £2.000 short of meeting their expenditure. In addition to that, the board bad only contributed about £SOO towards sinking fund when the amount should have been £5,000 to provide proper sinking fund for the loans maturing. Judged by any financial standard, the board were bankrupt, and in this ho was backed up by the late secretary. At the present time it was absolutely necessary that citizens must restrict unnecessary expenditure, and ho looked upon this as unnecessary expenditure. Tho drainage rate was lid in the £ now, within a penny of the limit of rating, and it would need to be raised to meet this expenditure. He must point out that if this motion were carried the be& thing to do would -be to pub the drainage officials back in their own office. The City Council had offered to undertake certain administrative work for a sum of money. This could be fulfilled only by having the Drainage Board staff in the Corporation building, under the supervision of the City Engineer rnd the Town Clerk. If they wero now going to engage this man in ' the way asked they would have to provide a. staff for him and office accommodation. This would necessarily increase the cost of administering this department. It was said that Mr Slinger was to be consulting engineer. Consulting engineer for what ? Was the gas department, the tramways department, or the electrical department likely to consult him? He did not think any advice Mr Slinger could give those departments would be of • value. Cr Douglas : He gave good advice to the gas department before. Cr Shaeklock said be was glad to hear it, but the gas department had no money to spend now. The water department had been referred to, but oven if they were prepared to go on now with the Lee Stream work they would still have Mr Slinger on their bands for two or three years for nothing, for they would not be ready to begin the work for a considerable time. Cr Douglas spoke of some scheme for providing water, to cost from £40,000 to £50,000. There was nothing new that Mr Slinger could tell them on tills matter. If the water in the bay were drinkable, it would be of no use to the citizens of Roslyn and the hills without some mechanical contrivance, and that meant annual expenditure. It was a good deal better to get a gravitation scheme, if possible—a pumping system was adopted only if it could not be got out of. Cr Douglas had referred Jo what Mr Slinger was prepared to do. On August 2 he said any position accepted by him would require to be conditional. He would not accept any junior position to the present City Engineer. Ho said if the council required an engineer to take charge of the drainage and water he was prepared to take it if it was a separate department under lus entire control. - He also said he would require a three rears’ engagement. There appeared to Live been a radical change of mind on someone's part since then. Cr Douglas said this was not -fair. It ' had been admitted that the terras had been altered.

Cr Shaeklock went on to say that this motion could not be carried without reling a resolution passed in 1913 that it’..as advisable that all civil engineering construction work should be placed under the control of the City Engineers' department. The council decided then that any d-epartmental committee should have the power (subject to tho council’s approval) to call in an engineer or engineers to confer with the City Engineer' on any proposed work requiring special consideration. So far as he knew this permission had only been availed of twice. If the council had £SOO to spare—and it amounted in reality to the position that they' would have to

pay a man . £SOO a year for nothing for several years—there were many ways of spending that sum more reproduclivety for the people.*. ‘ ‘ Cr Wilson agreed with Or Shaeklock that the motion should bo thrown out. To parry it would practically defeat co-ordina-tion. It was impossible” to believe that if the motion was carried', they would have harmony. So far as appointing Mr Slinger consulting engineer, he considered that the greatest .farce lie had over heard of. If they required a consulting engineer they would look to one higher in the profession. There was no getting away from the fact that a salary of £7OO was really before tho council at the present time.' Cr Hayward • opposed the motion. He did not think that Cr Douglas realised the difficulties that were entailed in appointing Mr Slinger consulting engineer to Mr M’Curdie. It was well known that as a result of the Leith works there was a good deal of feeling between Mr M’Ourdio and Mr Slinger. To carry the motion would mean putting tho two men in a very difficult position. Ho would rather call for applications for a city engineer than be a party to appointing Mr Slinger consulting engineer. Cr Kellett said that Mr Slinger was recognised by the majority of The citizens as a most'capable man. They had been told that they had no room for two . heads. All he had to say was that the question of providing extra accommodation was a very paltry argument. Mr Slinger, by his ability, had made himself known, and there was no question but that they wanted assistance, and, they Wore merely asked to secure tho services of a practical man for a paltry £2OO a year. Cr Snicock opposed the motion. Ho felt that the corporation staff were quite competent to carry out all the demands made on them. Cr Taverner opposed the motion. Ho was prepared to make tho statement that in order to make proper and adequate provision for tho redemption of the drainage loans, pay an increased rate of interest, etc., they would have to increase their drainage rate from lid to Is 3d. If Mr Slinger reported 'on a water scheme, and it was decided to carry it out, ho asked; Would Mr Slinger he in charge or their City Engineer? Cr Douglas,, in reply, said that tho question of finance had 'bulked largo in the discussion, and he would contend that the appointment of Mr Slinger, with his great engineering ability, would lead to economy. Reference had been made to the value of certificates. Tho efficiency of Mr Slinger’s work, which had savod the citizens £2,000 a year, was the best certificate. The water scheme ho had referred to was a gravitation one. The motion was lost by 10 to 4, tho voting being; For—Os Kellett, Douglas, Scott, Lunn ; against —the Mayor, Grs Shaeklock, Wilson, Hancock, Hayward, Small, Gilkison, Macdonald, Sincock, and Taverner. The council rose at 11.30 p.m.