CITY ENGINEERING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20721, 14 November 1930, Page 10

CITY ENGINEERING.

; EEOEGANISATION SCHEME. MAJOR FEATURES ADOPTED. ONLY ONE NEW OFFICER. SOME PROPOSALS DROPPED. The scheme for the reorganisation of the city engineer's department, outlined rn a report submitted to the City Council by tho city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, early in October, was finalised last evening after a lengthy discussion by the council ifi committee. The city engineer's scheme was adopted in the main. This recommended the division of the city into three districts, with an engineer in cliarge of each, the appointments to bo made from the existing engineering staff. The sections of tli« report which were not adopted were those suggesting the appointment of an assistant city engineer and the proposal relating to the administration of the waterworks department Since the report first came before the City Council the proposals have been discussed on three occasions by the council-in-committee arid finality was reached only last evening. The decisions mado were then reported in open council. Appointments of Officers. Iho following acting appointments were made, to be reviewed in 12 months:— I Mr. C. K. Clefnow, to be divisional engineer in charge of the central district, at a salary of £SOO a year. Mr. H. E. Goldsbro, to be divisional engineer in charge of one district, at his present salary of £SOO a year. Mr. J. E. Clarke, to be divisional engineer in charge of one district at a salary of £4OO a year. The recommendation that the appointment of an assistant engineer be considered was deferred for 12 months. The following appointments were also made:— Mr. A. J. Dickson, designing engineer at a salary of £SOO a year. Mr. C. E. Putt, town-planning officer at his present salary of £435 a year, the position to be reviewed in 12 months. Staff of Inspectors. Another proposal adopted was that the staff of seven building, plumbing and drainage inspectors be retained at its present strength, but that the plumbing and draining inspectors' districts be arranged to lessen transportation costs. This provided for an alteration of the boundaries of the respective districts, allowing for a possible reduction in the number of motor-cars used in the service, but involved no change in respect of the bnilding inspectors. Mr. A. G. Taylor was appointed chief clerk of the city engineer's department at his present salary of £475. Other decisions were that Mr. J. Mathieson be appointed to control refuso collection, destructor and transport at a salary of £450, an increase of £ls, and' that Mr. D. J. Whelan continue as workshops foreman at. a salary of £SOO and that he be granted a bonus of £IOO in recognition of the extra duties performed while in charge of the destructor. A further recommendation by the city engineer was that the Avondale quarry be closed arid the plant sold, all metal in future to be obtained from the Mount Eden quarry. The council adopted this. Another decision was that the salary of the chief draughtsman, Mr. F. L. Svrann, be increased from £455 to £450 a year. Waterworks Department.

The main departure from the city engineer's recommendations was that in respect of the waterworks department. Mr. Tyler had suggested that, the general work of this department, including all maintenance work and the laying of new mains, be under the sole control of the waterworks engineer, Mr. D. Mead, he to be directly responsible to the council, but that all major constructional works be designed, undertaken and controlled by the city engineer until completion.

The council's final ruling on this recommendation was that no alteration be made in the position as laid down in the council's resolution of April 18, 1929. This resolution provided that the Waterworks Department, be under a waterworks engineer, the department to undertake and design constructional works and carry out maintenance of the whole of the city's waterworks undertakings, these activities to be under the control and supervision of the city engineer. At that time Mr. Mead was appointed to the position of waterworks engineer. The decisions involved the appointment of only one new officer, a designing engineer. . This was done to relieve the chief draughtsman of designing work so that he might, devote the whole of his time to supervision, the collection of data and other duties. The appointment of a designing engineer was desired primarily to deal with problems connected with the construction of large steel-frame and ferro-concrete buildings. The engineer appointed, Mi'. A. <T. Dickson, was formerly a member of the city engineer's staff but is now in Mew South Wales, having resigned two years ago to accept a university travelling scholarship in engineering. He spent some time on the engineering stall of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.