AUCKLAND'S CITY ENGINEER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 4 February 1930, Page 7

AUCKLAND'S CITY ENGINEER

MR TYLER'S CAREER OUTLINED

Tho appointment of Mr James Tyler as Auckland city engineer follows 13 years' service as 'assistant-city engineer. Mr Tyler's new position will carry with it a salary of £ISOO a year, rising to £2OOO by annual increments of £IOO. His present salary is £9OO. The total applications for uhe position were 75 and these came from virtually all parts of the world (reports tho "Herald ). Fifty-two years of age, Mr Tyler has had a life-long association with Auckland, the city of his birth. He received his engineering education at tho Auckland University College and between' 1890 and 1900 underwent practical workshop training, i§rst at tho city foundry of Messrs Seagur Brothers' works and later • at the workshops of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, being workshops foreman for the latter company from 1900 to 1905. As a structural engineer from 1905 to 1907 Mr Tyler supervised important works for the Colonial Sugar Company. Mr Tyler was appointed to the city engineer's staff, in 1907 or resident engineer on the contract for the construction of Grafton Bridge, which appointment he held until the contract was satisfactorily completed. Mr Tyler was later appointed superintendent of works in the city engineer's department and was appointed assistant-city engineer in 1916._ In that ciipacity he was associated with many important'city works, particularly in carrying out the completion of the Nihotupu dam by direct labour when it became necessary for the council to take over the work from the contractors in 1921.

In a testimonial* Mr W. E. Bush, excity engineer, who is now resident in Brisbane,,states: "Mr Tyler has had a valuable training in tho school of hard experience, which he has supplemented by studying at- the university and by extensive reading. This has been further amplified by the tour of investigation which the City Council enabled him to make in 1924. He has a unique knowledge of the city and surroundings and is steeped in the problems which it presents. He is a man of the highest integrity, possesses the valuable asset of personality and has tho ability to control the staff under him."