UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13710, 26 September 1908, Page 7

UNDERGROUND DRAINAGE

t CONTRACTORS* PENALTY. CO -OPERATIVE-. SYSTEM REJECTED. A specif.-jaeejt^gsptjthe.TSmara BoreagfrCouloir was *ueld last mgbt to deal nmn the qnestkitt of co-operative contracts for the next drainage section, ana Uk quctsion of penalty on Paljtiser Bros, contract. There were present 'the Mayoi «fad Connallots Bowfcer, Mnllin, Hawkey, Seaky, Oborn, LeatlrwYck, Harney, Rayajond and Satterthwaite.. "Councillor Kotthwcil came in later. i CONTRACT NO. & ■-'■' * -.The Council dealt first with the question .<rf yailiwers' contract. Mr Marcbant was present and in reply to questions etated thatsix weeks' extension ol iime, Was granted, without charge, and the contractor* took 15 -weeks more to finish the work. He thought the contractors should pay tha extra coat of the clerk oi works for the IS weeks. He was engaged on tb* contract alt except Hie a few. x days. %'A. du»cu*sK»u took place oa .the unexjs*cte*£ difliculty the contractors met with, m the influx of water. The engineer Ojought that was a fair contractors' risk, and that admit ting that difficulty ample time was allowed lor the work, if it had Seen properly pushed on. Mullin and Oborn, the latter especially, urged that allowance should bs made for the unexpected difficulty. I'The Mayor pointed out that this was really a penalty, tbe contractors weie gfrcn six weeks extra witliout charge, and i» asfc them to pay the inspector.for the extra-15 week* beyond that time. "Oborn said t>he Council had never yet enforced a penalty for exceeding a contract time, and under the cirhe thought they ought nofc to begin now and on this new kind of work. iffhe matter having been discussed for sonic time on these" lines a motion ve*% made that the recommendation of the commiltee. that* ; £35~ be 'deducted from the amount, due to* Paflisf r and Sons,* be "adoptand carried by the" casting vote of the Mavor. CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACTS DECLINED.

this subject, the Mayor said li||t when Jbe scheme 'w« being: put befote the ratcpoyers the people wete given toft understand, that some of the work, if not Til would he let m small contracts.

'sAr Marchant said he always trnderjtood tint Ui») work was to be lot in three contriet*.

-ifcouncillor Hawkey endorsed the Mayor's statement, and Mr Marchant said hj« nwr heard of it. >

Councillor Sealer doubted whether the people did undcustand that. If that w-as the understanding, why was it sot-applied to No -2?

Mayor: The Council approved of kiting thai in one contract. Conucillor Hawkey said a resaon for that was the men ot Titnaru were all well employed then. Now there " good men available for small contract.*, and that w»* whr the committee recommended this

»; *tem - * - t " .Ik Mayor »aid the Council <lid not wan'-' any sweating.

Mr Marchant read the following state went on the subject:—

" IVonrt by drainage * mzine r on pro poial ,to exeeute part of the sewerage by eo-oj>erative labour. *" 1 have had no ejcpcmnce of Uie cooperative <>rotem mt. applied to t!«e co" ■truction of a town'o »enerage «oik>. Xor ha« any otlier engineer. Thi> system has lj«en applied only i<» io.m! iml railway e*r-hwork. wherr excavation* have been .'made-*and formed into .mbankmen'* aRd o«W simple tJas»«». of work. 1 am thttefore unable to do ih«t»: ih-tn the weak point* and objection, 1 i.ni lonte* in it which may or may not lo verified by actual results. "Wtthdaj* work we can di~ mi»> any man who diM^K-y» orders or ti'i«» anything e.dtulat.d to jiiake trouble on the wtk. With a CoWlac t.*r »c have lum >trictly bound under tliK unient> nt black . and white, «# hold a heavy c.«»h dejK»it, we deduct 23 p» r <cn:. of hi- earnings ami hold it in bind until ''O day* oi mono aflitr tl« completion of th* contract, and ■«4 bare h*, ».uteti.*« who ate annweiahle for hi"* actt. and default?. With all tht« pi»p«rrly enforce*!, a.» we df» enforce i« in a leasoiwbhi way, the Count il and pubii. are pr«|ierly #*\Vith thi' cla.v« yf "oik lei t operative gang's 1 think that the grave-! e#BMt for di»*ati.«faetiuti would ai:««- on the |v»r« of the found! and public. Th« would b«* handetl over to »r»t-jx»n ,«iW*> mtn. irr»*»por*>ibb- l>ec.iuvr they h.»v.nothing to h»»e in the .-ven; <>f .my ». t of default on their |wrt c.tu-mg hj»»» t,i ilam.ige to the Council or public I • ««bi not po»«ibfy rake tin- rrspon>ibiluy <>{ partying out. the work* ttnd'-r an mt trie.! and purely ex|>erirrKn'al »y»:.-m .»ni l»«l»g held an*MCrrible for it> I vonld lie nee«-»«siiy f.ir the t'.mncjl ifelt »«*?;organise th»» fy*?«tn. ami mr toil imitruction-v th«- derail-, and 1 would tliett obey th* order* given. ** I cannot **>> why j. change !i"in a tried <y»t«-m :* m-edcl. We h.tv.- had th* H<>n«- v<-ry chraplv c> (r. mtich • he <p.-r-than any djy worV or co-opct' tivc* «Tfrt(»n» w*»?il.J have jiclied <id th'- « %h» in 'l«.r own mterec4 tatarg »11 «h** nw'. ihey can *nd ?bf »nmtx»t woik tm-y can out " Th* work b«* b - *n Anne in all • •■» real e*«e»*tal». th«» only CT«.un.t .«/ .om plaint l<ing tl»«* n»iiah < on<? 'i-n i.f the o»r«rt *nrfa«.-e» «hieh sm»t a »cami- of t;teuton l<e;«e-ti 'htonfractfois and oonwlw*. "The contractor employ skilled men

to lav and joint the pipes." This requires a good deaf of experience to do it properly. 'Under a co-operative- system we should have to employ pipe layers on daily wages to be sure the work was properly" done, and so" thai "we might regulate-" the speed of pipe-laying to suit that of the co-operative' trench excavators. "Unless the co-operative gangs could afford to employ traction engines to break up the ground as do the preeent contractor*, no "hand-pick work could possibly compete with the system now in vogue. '".The lighting and fencing ol ticntlK-s and obstructions is a real duficulty under the. coop.rarive system. '1 he co-opera-would say naturally enough that tiny wloohlsb? responsible only lor lighting and icucing their part of tlic work, ilii* would leave other lighting and fencing to be uon* by those who wtic executing ocher work about the streete, canning 'frn - tion and mischief to a dead certainty. Then again, if the co-operators committed any act whereby die public was injured, the Council would have to pay, as tiny would have insufficient capital probably to make the damage good. * " I dislike the proposal without qualification, and I advim.- the . Count il to look facts in the face and .sec hi .advance ;<•= Jar as possible where "difficulties way lie before going into such a system. ~ Day work on good lull wage* to the teM.mvit lam quite in favour of. The Council would have to provide Jor a. io». of inspection and management, but we should have tlw work entirely in -oui hands, and it is quite reasonable lo try that if there is any cause lor oisbatisiat--liou with the system of contract work.

" The (rouble with day work on these municipal works generally is, Unit all eorts of picssure » brought to .bear, to employ, this or that man lor personal or politic reasons, and not because he is the man likely to yield the best results in the public interest. ;

"My opinion is that she Council should let Ihe work by contract provided tenders for a fair gooil paying price are obtained. If not, we can always cairy out the work i>n\-lhe daily wages system if contract work becoiiß-s too dear. —_-

"Summing upv, ib«; objections h> co operative work, Okv seem ciiicHy to. be th«vc— lliat \vc cannot <tiMiii.<*> any ot the wen working under this syntctij" l>ccau..c they »iv, practically tpcaiiing, • contractor.*, and «c cannot viitorve pcualtio against them if iKwsfiry" W-au.»c thev have no capital oh which To draw, There otill seem:, to be a further objection: What i* to provent a party of very indifferent nun front landing together to take one of these co-opvta.'ivv contract' s . They might—a» ha* happened to «u knowledge on railway -work—be factory opcrativco temporarily out of worts, .tnilent quite proiwrly to make small wages rather than have ww ai all. It would he quite impossible to get good to>ult> from inexperienced tucu tike tbc*v, ;««.» yet they could i»ot be diMni*>cd it their contract was oiue accepted." - In reply to a question, the Mayor said that the Council's traction engine could not be Mr«e,l for the purpose, but ten or a< do*<u men could easily arrange to hire tut CJlgiue. v; .,yv-.i,_' ; ; .-.■..•■- Councillor Mullin doubted it ; at all events it would entail a lot of tiouble. Mr Marduaut jaiid that unless men could, use an engiuc they would get on badly. There would be difficulty too over the lighting, as the co-operators could only be held responsible for lighting part of die work. Then in a case of a serious accident they might not have capital to meet :iie liabilities, and th-y would fall upon the Council. Jt was better to look facts in tut face, and fjee where the difficulties lay.

Councillor Uoihwell came iu at this -tage.

"the M;iyoi ri-jieated that the men could . um'lv hue an engine, and there was a lot of work to be done that did not re quire an engine, —all pick and .*hovcl work. Councillor Raymond *ugg..>ted that .-o many inspector? would be required that they would want inspectors.of in>j>eetois; and they would not get ten or twelve men to work tog. ther well. Councillor Hawkey did not think they would either .-ave much or lo>e much ny the r.y*tem, but they >bould give it a trial. If the men got a fair price they would try to earn good wage> and would work together for that end. There would 1»- no inspectors needed except for pipelaying. Mr Marchant : Vef tit* re would—for gtadins and laying out. The Mayor : Not mutt than now He Migircrtrd that, if Mr Marchant tried to i.H.k ujn.it the projioKd favourably instead of unfavourably, ho would >cc g'Hnl points in it. Council!..r Mullin after heating Mr M n ch-m!'» r/xpl.«n.iti«n, thought it xculd tv a iiii-t..ke t., ad.q.t the coop«rati\<- >ytem. The nun mii't be .mphycl all :he ».imc and would qet g. t fail w without any ii»k. Th y >h..u!d try a contra.-t and if tni•',■ -r* npif t<«> higli Uicy could fall I M . k ..n day woik. Mt Mar.-liMi; Hi- i- »■ ••• " v ' ■> k -...nl |-,.intr ..i-.at th- p.i.;n.- -yU\n app'-e t !•• fad i"-ik IK i> bi.-k block-: l! had i w.ir U1...C u-.oiu. I to woik. but it «.•«'.» not .1.. ... h.«\- :ii..: »!--. nCimii at «"tk in tie «tr.-t- >■'. a town. Th. Mayoi t!i'.,;-iit tli.y ..■..■!lid ii'-r >'" far wrong m tiyins .. m»sr <•; r". and ». .-HV* what tie I'.mtrj mrn n-i« ill*'..- ••• Coun-iUol- H.««l-v aod tll-Mt 10.0.-i that th- r.. ouiiii. iidatt'.n •>! 'l"' r.-.miiu::*'.-be adopied- -'Tha' the < r 1-- in -.ttuctd to proo..d with tlv " "rk in b.ut of on- mil.- .-.oh. uml-i t!>. >-<• op.-r.itn- .oir.ta.: 'Uf \ > q-c !•<» m«* t.. be d-n- by day i..1-.nt ' On U ing "pnt U> th. %"(«. b< motion «a. !.»•? hi 6 :.. o. I'..' lb- V..}.... »»t.i C..uiiciU'>r-. H.i»k.\. nb-iin. ib.ti.w.'' and Uathwi'-k Au-ii'"l C.,uii..iM..'t, Uowkcr. Mulhtt, Kaimoud. >cxlt}. H..:n-«

and Satterthwaite. It wa& then resolved, without duutn:, that the remaining work hs carried out in one contract, according to the recommendation of the engineer. In reply to a Councillor, Mr Marcbant said this'contract was to be half as big again as No. 2. It Mats tut« tin.- *une class of work, with v-ry little tuunelling. No. 2 contract would be finished by or ooon after the €n<i of the year. Councillor more than once tpokc .. .in complimentary terms of the way Miners Fibber* and Clyuia had pushed on wih their work. The Mayor wound up the discretion with the remark that there were a good many ratepayers anxious to cee the -co-operative system tried, and Councillor S-.aUy there weit- a good 'many against- it too.