D.—s.

there will be any difficulty experienced in furnishing the drawings of details as they are required by the contractor from time to time as the work proceeds. There is consequently no necessity for keeping the architectural draughtsman solely employed on this work. The cooking and heating appliances of the asylum are not included in the contract, but the plans of these are being prepared by Mr Holmes, and should soon so far be completed that the position of the small portion of the work included in the contract can be set out and the apparatus and piping ordered at an early date. In the first clause of the General Conditions of Contract provision is made for the contractor being notified of the appointment of a person as Eesident Engineer, who is to have the principal local charge of the works, therefore it would be necessary to inform the contractor if any change of Eesident Engineer is made during the progress of the works. It is, however, implied by Mr. Bell that he made it a condition of his undertaking the supervision of the asylum contract that he shall be appointed an Engineer-in-Chief, and have independent charge of the contract, with an increased staff under his control. There is, I consider, no necessity for increasing the present staff on account of the Porirua Asylum contract, nor to set up a separate staff for the purposes of this work. William H. Hales, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Acting Engineer-in-Chief.

No. 3. Memorandum for the Eesident Engineer, Wellington. Public Works Department, Wellington, 24th July, 1891. Ec Porirua Lunatic Asylum Building. In reporting to the Minister the result of my inspection of the works at the above-mentioned building on 20th instant, I could not reasonably avoid commenting unfavourably on the very inferior character of the workmanship displayed in the bricklaying work generally No care seems to have been taken in starting the work to keep the courses perfectly fair and level, consequently the joints are, in some places, too thick, or of unequal thickness, and no reasonable attempt seems to have been made to keep proper bond even in the face-work of walls, all of which indicate that the contractor is careless or indifferent regarding the character of the work he performs. As regards allowing this inferior work to go on unchecked, no doubt the blame rests, in the first instance, on the Inspector of the works, but the Minister feels that he cannot hold you to be entirely blameless in the matter, and I am, therefore, to specially call your attention to the urgent and absolute necessity of adopting all reasonable safeguards to see that the work put into this important building is of the very best character, and to direct you to personally visit the works as frequently as your other duties will admit of, and much more frequently than you have done hitherto, and to use the utmost care and vigilance with the contractor to insure a good job being made with the works. As regards the Inspector, you will please admonish him for allowing such inferior work to go on without either stopping it or reporting the matter to you, and tell him, please, that if anything of the kind occurs again he will be at once suspended, and the matter reported to the Minister W H. Hales, The Eesident Engineer, Wellington. Acting Engineer-in-Chief.

No. 4. Memorandum for A. D Bell, Esq., Engineer for Defences. Public Works Department, Wellington, 27th July, 1891. Eβ Porirua Lunatic Asylum Buildings. Afteb carefully reading your memorandum of the 10th instant, reporting your visit to the abovementioned buildings and detailing the several matters that came most prominently under your notice when there, and having since received a full report from the Acting Engineer-in-Chief in reference to the matter, I have now come to the conclusion that it will probably be best for the works to be carried out under the more immediate personal supervision of the Acting Engineer-in-Chief, and I have therefore requested Mr Hales to himself make regular visits of inspection thereto. Under these circumstances, therefore, it will not, I think, be necessary for you to take any further action in the matter, so kindly regard my previous directions for you to take charge of the work as cancelled. B. J Seddon, A. D. Bell, Esq., Engineer for Defences. Minister for Public Works.

No 5 New Zealand Defences, Wellington, 27th July, 1891. Sic, — Porirua Asylum. I have the honour to acknowledge the instructions contained in your memorandum of this date with regard to the above buildings. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. Arthur Bell. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,400 copies), £2 11b. 6<J.

By Authority: Samuel Oostall, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB9s. Price 3d.]

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