THE HARBOR WORKS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3573, 24 February 1914, Page 6

THE HARBOR WORKS.

GETING READY TO GO ON WITH LOAN WORKS. INCREASING THE STAFF. “CHEAP MEN ALWAYS DEAR MEN.” The following report was submitted to the Harbor Board yesterday by Mr J. A. McDonald, the Engineer-Secret-ary : Since I have been working for the Board and advising them on engineering matters, I have not once stepped outside my province, to make suggestions on matters of policy. The Board have accepted my advice on all Engineering matters since my engagement. They laid down their own policy for Developing the Inner Harbor. I showed them how this could best be done, and put forward recommendations and estimates, which were first adopted by the Board and later by the Ratepayers. One of the largest items under the now proposed Loan Expenditure is the drilling and blasting of rock, which I estimated to cost £40,965. The Board never asked for detail particulars of the exact methods I • should employ, knowing that 1 had carried out similar work successfully elsewhere, and I must admit that the Board have paid me a high compliment in the past by the way in which they have accepted my various’recommendations.

However as certain principles are involved in the decision arrived at during the last meeting in regard to the appointment of a works foreman, it becomes necessary that the position should be clearly defined, if the proposed works are to be carried out within the estimates placed before your Board.

In the estimate put forward in November last for drilling and blasting, I estimated this work at 3s per cubic yard, although I am satisfied that no contractor in this Dominion would undertake it at double this rate. In the Late Mr Napier Bell’s Report to the Board in September 1899 lie states:—

“The excavation of the papa rock is said to cost six shillings a cubic yard, which is not an extravagant cost, although if done on a larger scale I think the cost might be reduced, and I might suggest that the method of drilling and blasting carried out at Freemantle be tried here, which was to erect trestles on the rock, covered with loose planks, from which the men can drill long rows of holes, to be all fired together in the evening. By this means a great deal of excavation can be done far better and

quicker than drilling from a punt.”

Mr Bell here refers to the method I employed at Freemantle Harbor. He came here direct from Freemantle, where he had the opportunity of watching the work under my management Tor some months.

1 I very naturally conclude, if I carry the work out at my estimate, that both the Board and the ratepayers will be satisfied, but if the Board dictate with me how I am to attain this end, then thev are sharing with n e the responsibility of possibly exce.viing the estimate, if not actually taking tlie responsibility off my shoulders. Unless the Board intend to instruct me as to the methods I shall employ, and the character of explosive I shall use, then the prerogative of the Board, once the estimate is approved and the funds provided, extenefs fitly to fixing the rate of salary of the works foreman, and my responsibility in regard to the balance of the vote, and where they now propose to save j£7s per year I hope to save thousands. The system I work on is to pay good wages and see that I secure good men, as I have always found that cheap men are always dear men in the end. In other words I can economise: the Board cannot. Now, as at least half the time of the works foreman will be employed on loan works, the provision for half 'his salary is naturally embodied in my estimate for drilling and blasting, and as 60 per cent, of the cost of drilling and blasting, or £27,580 is for labor, it may be concluded that I have based my estimate on having an experienced and energetic works foreman to supervise the detail and to control the men. In fact an efficient foreman for this class of work is a sine qua non, and no efforts of mine without such detail supervision can give the ratepayers the results that have been promised. I had hoped that these loan works would have been completed in three v years’ time, and at well under my estimate, but I never anticipated that I should be asked to accept a foreman at the rate of Is 7d per hour to supervise men getting up to Is per hour, as under such conditions even "had the foreman the necessary experience, he would be respected proportionally to bis rate of pay. I am sure it is onlv necessary for tihs matter to be clearly placed before the Board for the members to see, where the Engineer is working to a definite estimate on constructional works, that such details as the salary and selection of the works foreman should be fixdd by the Engineer, subject only to the formal approval of the Board. As I am satisfied that tlie Board do not wish to relieve me of any responsibility in regard to my estimates, and as the most urgent matter, in regard to initiating these new works is to secure a competent foreman, I recommend that the applications received for works foreman be held over and that fresh applications be invited on the lines I recommended at the last meeting of the Board, viz., that the salary now given of £275 bo not altered.

COST BOOK CLERK. At a meeting of the Finance Committee held on June 30th, 113, I reported : “There has not been a proper works cost book kept in this office, and though on my appointment I had one opened, still the current work in the office has prevented its being posted up. However the materials and labor have been allocated from time to time, that when an additional clerk is available the arrear work can he posted up. In view of the raising of a loan and the absolute necessity of such hooks being kept regularly, the time has arrived when I must, ask for an ad- - ditional clerk. I require a fairly capable account clerk and if possible one with some- -experience of engineering cost work.” The Finance Committee approved of this and reported to the Board on July 28th, 1'913, as follows : “That the Board be asked to authorise applications to he invited for a competent cost hook clerk at a salary of'£l3o per annum. That advertisements he inserted in Gist borne, Napier, Auckland and Wellington papers, and that the Finance Committee be empowered to receive applications and make the appointment. Half the salary of the clerk to he charged to revenue, and half to loan account.” It was moved, seconded, and carried, that the recommendation to appoint a cost hook clerk he deleted from, the Finance Committee’s report. Since my report in June last nothing more has been done towards posting up the cost book, and in view of new works being started it is imperative that the matter should now he

favorably considered. With' the drilling and blasting that has to he done I must not only know the cost of the work from day to day, but also the cost of the work done by each individual worker. There is no other way of keeping the costs within the estimates.

I recommend that the Finance Committee’s recommendation No. 4 of June 30th, 113, be now adopted. The Chairman said that he agreed with the Engineer that it was essential to have an. experienced foreman. The work would he all under waTer, and it was all the more necessary that a good man should be in cliarge. He moved' that tlie recommendation of the Engineer to "appoint a ifiari at £275 be adopted. Mr Brown seconded the motion, stating that the Board could not get a competent man for less than the salary stated. He did not think that the Engineer had placed an undue value on the foreman’s services. It was decided that the Chairman and Messrs Clark, Collins and Corson should! be appointed a special committee to select a suitable man, on the recommendation of the Engineer.