ROAD CONTRACT SYSTEM

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1932, Page 10

ROAD CONTRACT SYSTEM

COUNTIES’ VIEW EXPRESSED. DESIRE FOR DISCRIMINATION. At the meeting of the Waimate County Council yesterday a letter was received from the Hawera County Council conveying the reply of the Highways Board to the representations made con- ■ cerning the contract system on highways. The chairman (Mr. E. Long) said the reply was hardly a reply at all as it did not give the views advanced by the - deputation which went to Wellington, j The public no doubt would think from the report that the members of the de- , putation had not a good ease. They had j very good comparisons concerning the , advantage of day labour over contracts, but as these related to work in other counties they were unable to use them. Work by the council’s staff could be done so as to keep the men together and fully employed throughout the year, but if work were done by contract they would have to be dismissed. Those at the head of affairs who were responsible for rushing the matter did not. appear to know anything about the engineering point of view. Some of the counties which had no plant of their own were not able to do work economically by day labour, but it was asked that there should be discrimination in the case of the counties that could successfully undertake their own work. One minister. agreed with this.