“MONSTROUS! SCANDALOUS!”

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVI, Issue 1525, 26 May 1921, Page 5

“MONSTROUS! SCANDALOUS!”

ALL ABOUT AN ENGINE. ALLEGED EXCESSIVE CHARGES. “ Why the dickens were we farmers?” said Cr Thoms at the meeting of the Awakino County Council yesterday, when a bill for £699 was presented from a wellknown engineering firm for the overhaul of a traction engine. Of this amount about £3O was the cost of overhauling a crusher, leaving roughly about £660 for the engine. The council paid £320 for the engine second-hand, and got a certificate from the Government inspector in January, certifying that the engine was in good order. Before bringing the engine out to Pio Pio, the council authorised the engineers to examine it and effect any repairs that .were needed, thinking that perhaps an expenditure of about £SO would cover the cost. All the councillors spoke heatedly about the charge, and various exclamations such as “monstrous!” “profiteering!” and “scandalous!” were"' heard. The labour account was appended as follows: Fitters 1356 hours, boilermakers 276, patternmakers 91, coppersmith 1it—1734 hours at 3/6, £303 9/-. Blacksmith and helper, 43 hours at 9/-, £l9 7/-; mechanic * and machine, 330 hours at 4/6, £74 5/-; acetone welder, 3 hours at 5/-, 15/-; assistants, 898 hours at 2/9, £123 9/6; dirt money, £ls. The engineer (Mr Fennell) said that at this rate no county council could possibly afford to run machinery. In the present case, to give an idea of how badly the work was done, one of the stop-cocks, which was obviously a second-hand one, blew out when the engine was being driven over the hill from Tc Kuiti. Cr Thoms: Well, Pm very glad that my riding is out of all this. Cr Olds: I suppose the only thing to do is to refer the account to the councillors of the two ridings that the engine was bought for. Cr Leech: Yes, and they have my deepest sympathy. (Laughter.)