"HURRYING UP."

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5360, 3 December 1885, Page 2

"HURRYING UP."

[to the editor.] Sir. — The other day I saw the above words used to describe the progress of the Cobden bridge, and much I marvelled at the cool effrontery of putting the thing in that. way. "'•" Hurrying upV'V'ftwleed ! I venture to say that there never was a contract proceeded with in a more leisurely manner than this one has been since the Government Engineer and the contractor agreed to carry on the work in a safe and deliberate way — not at the expense of Government, who ought to be responsible for the stupidity and , ignorance of their engineers— not at the expense of the contractor, who is not altogether guiltless of blame in the matter ; but at the expense of this impecunious borough and other local bodies that may be induced on public grounds to help the borough out of its difficulty. If I interpret Mr Guinness's remarks aright at the recent sitting of the County Council, there is every inducement for the contractor to take his time over the work, and none calculated to make him hurry up. He is paid so much a week, as I am given to unde- stand, for overseeing his own men, who are also paid, and he is besides allowed so much for the use of his plant — all until such time as the bridge reaches the stage at which it was when the first great accident o curred. No wonder that Mr Martin's estimate of £3400, that was to be ample for all possible contingencies, turned out to be too little ; no wonder that he has asked for another £1500. The only wonder about the affair will be to see the structure finished without another £1500 being applied for. "Hurrying up," indeed ! Heaven preserve us from all such hurrying up in the future. We have had too much of it in the past. Until the establishment of the Harbor Board, the progress of the training wall was a sample of " hurrying up " after the Cobden bridge pattern — one foot forward and two backward. To my mind, if the local bodies interested in this bridge do not apply a spur somewhere the bridge will not be out of hand next year. There is culpable somnolency somewhere over this important work, and it behoves those who have to pay the piper to see that there is a general awakening all round. — lam, <fee, Ratepayer.

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