MR. SEDDON'S CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 94, 23 April 1895, Page 4

MR. SEDDON'S CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACTS.

To the Editor of the Evening Mail.

Fir. — Touching your admirable and instructive leader of the Bth inst. respecting the working of Mr Scddon's Cooperative Contracts, and your cogent, forcible, and prophetic leading article of July 7th. 1893, on .the satno subject, the truth of that which yon then foretold is developing itself swiftly and surely.

The warning in your columns was an exposition of the facts experienced by those who had already tried the Co-operative Contracts in public works construction ; tried it, not for Communistic, or political party purposes, but for the sake of an imaginary saving, tried it on its legitimate merits, and that too in Conservative and Monarchical couutries where the experiment was not likely to become pregnant with corruption, immorality, and crime. Under the most favourable circumstances, therefore, the cooperative system, with Jarge bodies of variously constituted and qualified men on large public works, came to an ignominious collapse, and for economy speed, durability, and workmanlike performances, influential and responsible contractors had to be employed. A contractor, having to maiutain his work for a certain specified time aftc completion and the opening of it to public traffic must, for his own sake, put ill the very best work. An expert Government or other Engineer goes over the entire work at the expiration of the Contractor's maintenance, and should he find any defective bridge, tunne!, viaduct, culvert, permanent way, or any other work, he orders it to bo taken down, rebuilt, and replaced, without stoppage of or interruption to traffic, before ho will grant a final certificate to the Contractor for the release oi his bond, and the payment of the accumulated retention money.

That there is no such guarantee for faitLful work and services under Mr Seddon's ruinous, irresponsible, and perilous system, events are fast discovering. Iu a small socialistic community Mi 1 :. eddon's system was likely to prove more especially costly and demoralizing. As you very justly remark the shrift would be a short one of any engineer in the public service were he to express disapproval oi the Government policy. The experienced and able writer whom you quote from the Christchurch Press (an old officer oi the Public Works Department) says that these co-operative works werehurriedly undertaken under "political pressure." Political Pressure .' All tho assertions ol this old officer are temperately put, you say. No doubt they are. He, being strong, can temper justice with mercy. At the samo time the incentive to vigorous speaking is justified when one is told that the resort to these wholesale extravagances and waste of public money arc undei taken by a beneficent Government for tho public good. The shrift of so able a man (an engineer I take him to be) as tho writer in the Christ church Press would indeed be a short one under a- Government who allow their engineers to measure up and pay men for the quantities in embankments, instead of that which they had actually excavated from tho solid earth in side cutting. Such an unheard of and extraordinary proceeding oa tho part of au Engineer could ouly nriso either from groes aud incomprehensible incompetence, or from something worse. If from the foimer, it is only another proof of what I havo nlways reen, viz., that a contractor employs as his Engineers o/ily tho very cream of tho prof-.ssiou; men, ab'o, experienced, aud incapable of blunder or corruption, aud whoso integrity is above suspicion.

The old Public Works officer iu tho Clnistchurch Press instances also h;;d the nstute workmen, under Mr Beddon's Engineer, co-operatively adjußtthe duration aud extent of their Inborn- eo aa to mako it cost the colony 1200 per cent more thnn thu known aud established prices for such work in tho mother country, IGOO per cent more than on tho Continent, 3000 per cent more than in India, and, taking the abnormally high rate of wages in this country, 500 per cent more than it should have cost to euablo them to earn 10j per day ot eight easy hours !

As 1 am keeping au account of Mr Scddon'a work I could give you other staitlinf: imtauces of it, Your rcadei'B vill, uowjvo", from tho above ouo samplu [net, pain Bomcthiuc; of tin insight into what is going on with tho money wrung from them in taxee, and iadtuies levied on tho necessary commodities of life. They will fiutlicr BOinethin<» of the roason why the colony is in bo deplorablo and pony a plight, nnd tliry will gain somo insight', pcrhap.-yinlo tho mysterious movements ulcl sucldon departure to England of tho Cclo:jy's Finai.cial Minister. — I am, &c, Pjjar e>.