CORPORATION RETRENCHMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 14

CORPORATION RETRENCHMENT.

At Tuesday's meeting of the City Conncil, the following report was read and considered in Committee :—

Your Committee recommends that the following reductions shall take effect forthwith. Councillors will observe from the accompanying return that the adoption of your Committee's report will result in a considerable saving on day labour outlay, amounting to about £2COO per annum. That the ward gangers be dispensed with, and that the daymen's wages generally be reduced Is per day. Also, that the following alterations be effected, viz.:— One man to be employed as general ganger over the daymen, under the inspector, for the whole city at 8s per day. The 'temporary vard&man, South Ward, to be dispensed with. The number of men employed for small permanent jobs to be reduced to five, and the ganger dispensed with. Tbe four men now employed raking in ruts to be dispensed with, and the work to be overtaken by the ordinary wardsmen. Four men now employed cleaning and watering streets to bo reduced in number to two. Tho wages of tb fencers presently employed be

reduced, viz., one to 8s per day, the other to 7s per day. The wages of the three asphalters be reduced, viz., Williamson to 8s per day, the other two to 7s per day. That tho four men presently occupied in lifting and relaying channels be reduced to two, viz., one man (Yates) to be employed at Bs, and one labourer at 7s per day, for small jobs ; also, that a twelve month's contract be let for relaying channels at per yard. That the wages of the four men now omployed in cleaning sewers be reduced to 7s per day of Bix hours. That one carpenter be retained at 10s per day. That the one mason's wages be reduced to 8s per day, the labourer to be dispensed with. That the services of the overseer of stonebreakersat Woodhaugh crusher be dispensed with. That the wages of the man (Connolly) in charge of the dust depot, Frederick street, be reduced to 6s per day. That tho wages of the Surveyor's messenger be reduced to 7s per day. That the services of one of the Surveyor's chainmen (permanent levels) be dispensed with. That the wages of the four men presently employed at tho cemeteries and reserves be reduced to 7s per day. That the " Unemployed" be entirely dispensed with so soon as the works now on hand shall have been completed. That the wages of the Corporation gardener (A. Fairbairn) be reduced to 8s per day. That pay- , ment be allowed for overtime at the rate of Is per | hour. That as these recommendations involve a large ( reduction of the working men, the City Surveyor bo instructed to retain the old employees in preference to those recently taken on, and that in all cases preference be given to Dunedin residents, always having regard to efficiency. That the services of Messrs Hutcheson and Archdall be dispensed with so soon as the permanent levels of the city shall be completed, which work will yet occupy two or three weeks. That so soon as the Town, Hall Buildings now on hand shall have been completed, the services of Mr Dick, the special inspector, be dispensed with. Be the Inspector of Works.— That while fully appreciating Mr Crawford's abilities as an inspector of works, your Committee is of opinion that he is not so well adapted for the supervising of such a number of men as are employed by the City Corporation upon various works, scattered as they are over an extended area, as he would be in carrying out a separate undertaking, and therefore your Committee considers it would be desirable that a man better adapted for the Council's special requirements should occupy the position of inspector, and recommends the Council to request Mr Crawford's resignation, That tho future salary of tho inspector be fixed at £300 per annum, he to provide and keep his own horse. W. Woodl/AND, Chairman. BCHBDUiiH snowma amount of proposed repuctiok IN DAY LABOUR, WAGES, ETC.

ASAVSIS. Total men discharged, 56. Total drays dispensed with, 10. Total decrease of day wages . . . . £809,7 0 0 Total decrease of staff salaries . . 910 0 0 Total reduction . . . . . . £9007 14 0 On resuming in Council, Cr Woodland, chairman of the Committee, moved that the report be adopted. This was met by an amendment by Cr Boss to the effect that consideration of the report be deferred until next meeting, which was seconded by Cr Cabbol/L. On a division there voted— For the adoption of the report : Crs Woodland, Barnes, Eish, Gore, and Aldrich ; for the amendment : Crs Koss, M'Kinnon, Carroll, and Thomson. The report was therefore adopted as read.

W r-i How Employed, Present Annual Cost. Proposed Annual Cost, 16 2 8 i 16 2 3 2 Wardsmen Fencers .. Asphalters Lifting and relaying channels . . Cleaning sewers . . Carpenter Mason Mason's labourer Raking 1 ruts, &c. . . Overseer Woodhaugh Quarry „ At nightsoil depot At dust depot Surveyor's messenger Permanent levels (chainmen) Clean ing and watering streets Small permanent jobs Ganger of above . . Ganger (Smillie) . . Temporary wardsman (S. Ward) . . Drays, ordinary . . Drays, watering streets, &c. ' . . Dray, permanent gang .. £ s. d. 1,980 0 0 255 0 0 390 0 0 & s. d 1.680 0 0 225 0 0 330 0 0 4 1 1 1 4 1 4 1 1 640 0 0 480 0 0 157 10 0 150 0 0 120 0 0 480 0 0 225 0 0 420 0 0 150 0 0 120 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 120 0 0 130 0 0 120 0 0 130 0 0 60 0 0 1 120 0 0 105 0 0 120 0 0 2 480 0 0 210 0 0 6 840 0 0 135 0 0 135 0 0 525 0 0 1 I 1 120 0 0 4 3 4 3 120 0 0 coo o o 600 0 0 450 0 0 450 0 0 1 150 0 0 160 0 0 26 26 Three Quarries — Quarrying and spreading Drays and horses . . 3,150 0 0 300 0 0 3,150 0 0 800 0 0 2 2 Cemeteries and Reserves — Gardener Men 140 8 0 480 0 0 125 4 0 420 0 0 1 4 1 4 1 4 86 10 "Unemployed'— Overseer Gaffers .. Men Drays 260 0 0 450 0 0 2,970 0 0 1,800 0 0 StaffCity Surveyor . . Assistant Do Cadets Inspector of Works Do Sowers and Town Hall Temporary assistant for permanent levels 700 0 0 300 0 0 250 0 0 100 0 Q 350 0 d 700 0 0 300 0 0 250 0 0 100 0 0 300 0 0 260 0 0 600 0 0 20,182 18 0 1,175 40