CONTRACT V. DAY LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20555, 5 May 1930, Page 12

CONTRACT V. DAY LABOUR.

Pir, —It is amazing how long the ratepayers have permitted tli3 City Council to carry oul work by clay labour in preference to contract. Wo have many illustrations of where the money allotted foij certain road works was not sufficient to complete them, so the situation was met by cutting out a lot of tho work, whereas if the same work had been let to a contractor the jobs would have been comi pleted in accordance with the specifications and with also a monetary saving to the ratepayers. A contractor usually knows his work aVid is a practical man, who specialises, scientifically organises bis plant and labour, and gives the work his close supervision, which is to his own interest. Where tho samo work is done by local bodies there are none of those risks or personal liabilities or time limits, which aro imposed on the contractors; therefore the work is allowed to drift 011 and its costs to mount up. I consider it quite safe to say that many of our macadam roads, built by day labour, could have been laid permanently in concrete at tho same cost, with a satisfactory profit to 1 lie contractor, workmen and ratepayers. Some hold that tinder tho contract system the work may bo slummed; to that I would reply, what aro our engineers paid for 1 Worker.