COUNTY MATTERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13798, 2 November 1908, Page 3

COUNTY MATTERS.

(To the Editor.) Sir. — In regard to my Ift lor re the appointing ol' the engineer of the County C.ouncil, as 1 had known Mr Skinner for many years and had always known him to be honest and straight in his work I did my hest to appoint him engineer to the Council. Hut that does not say I must not criticise his work ii' it is not done as it ought to he according to my opinion. When I was a hoy tho (ireat Western Railway was made close, alongside where 1 lived and f heard tho engineers there, when ehang- J ing the channel of the river, always put tho new deviation down to the bed or the river or a little helow, and I heard them bay: "]f you want to change the course of a river or stream always put the new channel down to the bottom of the bed of the river and it will draw that way itself;" and in my opinion tho bottom of the Tapuae tunnel is not down as low us the river bed, so I criticised the work at the Council's table. It does not matter to me nowmuch J work to put a man in a position, il his work is not according to what 1 thought it should be I shall criticise it, but 1 never criticise if I know nothing of the work, and I have done enough oorf r criticising at the Council meetings, but it does not always do to let an engineer have all his own way. Tho public have .seen by the reports of the meetings the position I took up, so 1 shall not enlarge on it, as 1 could do. Jiut with regard to the bridges, so far as 1 can see they are a credit to the engineer who super- j vised them. The Tapuae has cost the Omata Hiding over C.">oo more than it ought to li'ave done and anyone who travels the road will always know the great Tapuae. Thanking you (or granting me *.pnco. — I am, etc., (I. A. ADLA.M.