PARNELL BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THEIR ENGINEERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6928, 31 January 1884, Page 6

PARNELL BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THEIR ENGINEERS.

• •■ It will be remembered that ■ the, Parnell Borough has recently undertaken certain important works in regard to the drainage and water supply of the borough, and Messrs. Bovlan and Lundon, C.E.'s, have been their engineers. From time to time at tho Council meetings remarks have been made by individual members regarding the manner in which the works have been earned out, and at the Council meeting last night the following letter was received from the engineers : — Colonial Bant Buildings, Auckland. 30th January, ISS4. His Worship tho Mayor and Councillors, Parnoil; Gentlemen,—Wo have observed by perusal of the newspaper reports of your last two or three meetings. th»t some misapprehension prevails amosgst sorue of your members respecting the drainage and waterworks contracts carried out under our supervision for your borough, and that statements hive been made regarding them which are quite nncalled for, and moreover arc quit* unjustifiable, beicg without any foundation of fact With respect to die drainage works, it has been stated in your council that " doubts were entertaineii as !o the emcieucy of tho drainage works in certain places," that -the wcrss h_d cot boen proDerly done," that " the bottoms of the cess-pits had not been properly put in, and would shortly fall out altogether," and that " it would almost appear as If tho engineers and the contractor were one." The doubts and innuendos contained in the above quotations are simply gratuitous inmlt?. To the statements of fact we give an unqualified dental, and trust that your Council "ill cause these charges to be investigated should yon consider them worthy nf any oredence ; (ailing this invesli ation, and we believo that the efficient ml honest character of the drainage works will be admitted hy most of the Council, we cousi'ier It would bi on'v justice to us to inform us when questions Rtfrcl;ng us are to be discussed, so that we may be present to defend ourselves. Similar untruthful statements have also been made conoernmi the waterworks contract now in progress, fault being found with some details of the unfinished work. With regard to this, we ha»o to stato that unfinished work, for that V9ry reason is not a iair subject for criticism, and we have no hesitation in sajing that both the materials and workmanship, so far as the works ars completed, are of the most superior description, and tho whole of the work will be equally so when finished, as we shall show by tostin-i them in the presence of such of your Council as may be able to attend and will oblige us by doing so for that purpose. We observe that throughout these charges no fault Is found with the general designs and specifications of the works ; but opinions at d statements are brought forward, emanating from laymen, on the detaib of technical work, of which they aro profoundly ignorant-, and the expression ol which is calculated to mislead other members of the Council. Wc have thus written to yon, recognising that these statements have been reiterated by some two or three members only, and believing that the majority of th« Council bad no voice in them, or sympathy with them, and we trust that in this belief wo are not mistaken. In order to clear up misapprehensions, should any still exist, and to give explanations, 11 any are required, one of our firm will, with your permission, attend your meeting this evening.—Wa aro, &c, Boyla-n & Lundon. Borough Engineers. —The letter was read in the ordinary course o£ correspondence, and Mr. Lundon {one of the firm of engineers) was present, no doubt, to give any explanations or make any defence necessary.—His Worship the Mayor (Captain D. H. McKenzie) said he did not consider that the ordinary meeting of the Council was the proper place to go into a matter of this kind. If there was any grievance it would be better to have a special meeting or to have a committee appointed to go into the matter. He moved "'lhat trie consideration of the letter be deferred." —Mr. Waymouth moved, as an amendment, " That the consideration of the letter be taken now," and Mr. Pollard seconded the motion, and in doing so made some remarks supporting his own actiou. He was proceeding to refer to the letter itself and the reference in it to "lay members," when the Mayor reminded him that the letter was not under discussion.—The amendment was put and lost, only Councillors Waymouth and Pollard voting for it, and the motion to adjourn the consideration of the letter was earned by a large majority.