QUESTION OF DAMAGE TO STEAM ROLLER.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 December 1929, Page 6

QUESTION OF DAMAGE TO STEAM ROLLER.

EXPERT TO INSPECT AND REPORT TO BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A further step towards settlement of the dispute .between the Levin Borough Council and the Public Works Department as to the extent of the damage suffered by the steam roller which was hired by the Department from the Council, was taken on Monday evening, in the form of a report by the Streets Committee. At the previous meeting of the Council, Cr. Parker urged that further efforts be made to get a copy of the minutes of the Departmental inquiry into the accident to the roller; and the Town Clerk stated that he had received a verbal promise from an officer of the Department that the minutes would be supplied, but, although repeated inquiries for them had been made, they had not come to hand.

The report by the Committee was that they had resolved to approach Messrs J. J. Niven and Co., Ltd., asking on what terms they would be prepared to send a qualified engineer to Levin to inspect the roller, and give a written report on the condition ofthe machine in general. Cr. Goldsmith (chairman of the Streets Committee) said he did not know whether anything further 'had been done since last meeting. The Town Clerk stated that he had telephoned Messrs Niven and Co., and they were quite prepared to do what the Committee asked; they were to let him know the estimated cost. He had also written to the man who attended to the machine when the accident happened, asking if he could give any details of what he did to the machine and what his opinion was. Cr. Parker said he was surprised that the Committee had not persisted in every effort to get a copy of the minutes of the Departmental inquiry. That was the most important thing that they could have. He did not think that the Committee had exhausted every opportunity of getting that. It was the ;firat tthing they should have done. -

Cr. Falloon: Even - if we do get a report from Niven’s, are we going to bo any further forward*? His Worship: I certainly think we

aro. We allege that certain damage has been done, but the position is that we are not at present in a position to prove it. We want to get a man who will say that the macnine has been damaged, and say where, so that we can make a claim against the Depanment.

Cr. Goldsmith: Their officer promised that we should have the report, but probably he spoke without the book, and they are not forced to give it to us unless they like.

Cr. Parker: I should claim it through the Minister. Gr. Goldsmith: What concerns us i.s ; the condition of the engine now. If there is nothing wrong, there is nothing to claim for. If the expert opinion is favourable, the matter ends. Cr. Parker: You regard as of no importance the minutes of that inquiry?. Cr. Goldsmith: if the engine is not in good order it would bo important, but we cannot force it. How would you force it? Cr. Parker: There are a good fevr ways in which ih could be done. Cr. Goldsmith: It seemed to me that we were advancing this much—that we could get to know from someone in authority what is the condition of the engine now. If the report is adverse,, it is then for us to go for the Department. The report was adopted.