PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 35, 10 February 1909, Page 9

PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERS.

ALLEGATIONS OF rNCOMPETENCY. "MINISTER'S REPLY TO CRITICS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) WELLINGTON, this day. The remarks of the Hon. Mr Hogg in disparagement 6f tne -work-of the engineers of his Department (Roads and Bridges) has not been allowed to go unchallenged. A champion of their cause is Mr J. C. Fulton, who is a bridge engineer, with a colonial reputation. He claims .that, if the statements made by the .Minister .were true, then nothing short of'a;conimission or inquiry as to the methods and policy of the ex-Minis-ter for. Public Worlts and the previous Government in stocking the service with a staff of alleged incompetent engineers would meet the present situation, believing that swift action is the best paying policy in this instance. The Minister replies to his critics with the following heavy broadside: "I do not deny that there are higfily competent engineers in Charge of the public works in this country, but there are also men who call themselves engineer? who are simply standing in the way of muchrequired improvement of our public works. Years ago in the Legislature I described the standard plans of our Public Works Department as mouldy and fossilised, and I have not altered my opinion. Some of the engineers developed in this country, who have charge of very expensive works, have never passed any. proper examination, such as they do in. other pq,rts of the Empire. There is no board of examiners, and the man. who is overseer tb-d*y may be an engineer, approving or disapproving of works that he cannot construct to-mor-row. The whole system requires revision, because I consider tKat very large sums of money have been needlessly squandered on works that are not efficient, and, in some cases, on those that are obsolete."