Suburban Council Warns Contractors

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 687, 12 June 1929, Page 11

Suburban Council Warns Contractors

OUTSIDE LABOUR PAPATOETOE WATER SCHEME Unless local labour is employed on the work of reticulating the district with the pipe-line for the water supply drastic steps wifi be taken, and if necessary the whole of the contract with Gosse and Mullens will be cancelled at once. This decision was reached at last evening’s meeting of the Papatoetoe Borough Council. HR. E. S. SORENSEN introduced the question, and said that the contractor was at present employing about a dozen men, the majority of whom were about 20 years of age, and all of whom lived out of the district. This was in spite of the fact that the terms of the contract stipulated that preference must be given to local labour, and dozens of ratepayers had applied for work, but none had been engaged. The clerk read a letter from the water engineers, advising that all the men at present employed by the contractors were permanent hands, and consisted of foremen and gangers, who were at present engaged in unskilled work. Mr. Sorenson said that he had never seen a foreman or ganger IS or 20 years of age, and the explanation tendered was not in accordance with the facts. Mr. T. R. Smytheman, chairman of thq, board, expressed the opinion that a firm stand would have to be taken for the protection of local labour. The terms of the contract stipulating that local labour must be given preference would have to be enforced to the utmost to keep faith with the promises made to the ratepayers who sanctioned the poll. The town clerk, Mr. W. Young, said that drastic action would have to be taken in obtaining employment for local residents; half-measures were of no avail. On the motion of Mr. Sorensen, it was unanimously decided to authorise •the town clerk to instruct the water engineers that the terms of the contract were not being kept, and unless preference is given to local labour, the whole of the contract will be cancelled forthwith. A letter on the same subject was received from the Papatoetoe Chamber of Commerce. The contract referred to is for the supplying and laying of approximately 19 miles of pipe-line for the reticulation of the Papatoetoe Town Board district with a water supply. Messrs. Gosse and Mullens were the successful tenderers. A sum slightly in excess of £ 20,000- is involved. Only preparatorywork has been done at present.