BOROUGH UNDERTAKINGS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1933, Page 13

BOROUGH UNDERTAKINGS

ENGINEER’S DEPARTMENT WORK. REVIEW BY CR. J. BROWN. Matters relating to the working of the engineer’s department of the New Plymouth Borough Council were , outlined ■by Cr. J. Brown at the electors’ meeting on Monday night. Figures were quoted showing that the expenditure on streets last year was £12,980, compared with £20,155 for 192223. It was shown that the annual expenditure on streets had not risen proportionately with the borough rates. “The policy of the council has been to eliminate where funds permit any temporary or patchwork maintenance and substitute at slightly greater cost permanent work,” said Cr. Brown. “The result of this policy has been a considerable drop in the annual maintenance costs of the streets, as shown in the figures.” The amount allocated and expended on relief works had risen from £lOOO in 1928-29 to £3462 in 1931-32 and £2lOB in 1932-33, the money coming’ from the works committee allocation. In the relief of unemployment large sums had been expended by the council, growing from £3431 in 1927-28 to £13,870 in 1932-33. In the five years the total had been £49,186, of which £24,940 was spent under the No. 5 scheme. “Over the last 10 years much progress has been made in generally improving street surfaces and grades, also in footpath improvements,” said Cr. Brown. “An indication of the progress made in tar-sealing street surfaces can be taken from the fact that 10 years ago 26 miles only were tar-sealed, whereas to-day 46 miles are sealed, six miles of which have been tar-sealed in the past two years. Footpaths have been greatly improved of recent years, although no statistics can be given as in the case of tar-sealing. As an instance, however, of the council's attention to footpaths the fact that 4J miles of kerb and channelling work has been completed 'in the last two years shows that this portion of street works has not been neglected.” SAVING ON CRUSHING. On an average £lOOO a year had been saved by the elimination of the council’s crusher plant, continued Cr. Brown. The saving effected over the last two years on metal purchases was: 1931-32, £851; 1932-33, £l4BO. The savings shown were arrived at by taking the contract price as against the cost of the same material to the council for the last year the plant was operated. It was very doubtful if metal could to-day be crushed at a price to compare with, that of the contract. It had to be remembered that the stone in the council’s portion of the river was not suitable for the crushing of road metal, the suitable stone having been depleted many years ago. The fact that the quarries worked the river immediately above the council's land precluded the larger stone from being carried on to the council’s portion of the river bed. An expenditure of about £2OOO would be needed to put the council’s plant in efficient working order.

The elimination of the council stables had to follow the closing down of the crusher plant For two years after the crusher was closed the stables were run, mainly on relief works. At the end of two years, and after carefully considering the costs as compared with the hire of ■ outside teams, it was found that the stables were not payable to the council. The cost of running the stables in 1930- ; 31 was £1720. The actual cost of team hire to the council for 1932-33 was £369. '• Were the stables still operating it would have been impossible to employ the teams upon useful work. The letting of street scavenging by contract had saved the council a considerable sum annually. The costs of that work since 1929 were: 1929-30, £1037, day labour; 1930-31, £716, day labour; 1931-32, £450, contract; 1932-33, £450, contract. MECHANICAL AIDS. The estimated cost of the sewerage scheme was prepared to cover the cost of work carried out by contract but without mechanical ditchers, continued Cr. Brov/n. As the cost of materials liad not dropped since the estimates had been prepared and wages were only 10 per cent, less the chief saving must have been effected by the use of machinery. The saving, which would amount ,to approximately £35,000 on the whole scheme, could not have been made had the work been carried out by day labour. It was more than probable that the scheme would have cost the ratepayers an additional £75,000 had day labour methods been adopted. That figure might be open to argument but experience had almost invariably shown that works carried out by day labour, either by the Government or by local bodies had greatly exceeded the cost of similar work carried out by contract.' The costs of various types of work were then given by Cr. Brown. Cr. Brown explained to Mr. Fulton that members of the Labourers’ Union had refused the borough’s first offer regarding wages and later had desired to accept it, but then the borough would not agree. ? Mr. Fulton said that was an Incorrect statement. "It’s right,” said Cr. Brown.

“I am in a peculiar position,” remarked Mr. Fulton. “I would like to tell Cr. Brown what I think of him.” “I’d pretty soon tell you what I think of you,” remarked Cr. Brown as the chairman rose to state that personalities were not required. In reply to another question Cr. Brown said the reason why the crusher ceased work was because it cost 11s a yard to produce metal. It was explained that the borough could not absorb the crusher’s full output with the result that it had been forced to work part-time. That forced costs up to too high a figure. Tenders had not been called in 1927 because no one else in the district was in a position to take the contract. Did Cr. Brown know that about 60 chains of concrete kerbing and channelling had been laid on a loose earth formation, asked Mr. Fulton. Interjectors called the names of the streets and declared that cracks were visible in the concrete. Cr. Brown said he was prepared to back the opinion and experience of Mr. C. Clarke (engineer) against those of Mr. Fulton and the interjectors. He would look into the matter.