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Q-But evidence was given by the Clerk of Works, who said he had to measure. There seemed something to be done afterwards, some measuring?
A.-That is principally house work.
Q.-That could be done by the Clerk of Works?
A. It is now. The Overseers have nothing to do except with roads, streets, and
sewers.
Q.It is the business of the Clerk of Works then?
A. Yes. HOWROYD and CRAMP; there are two.
Q.-Mr. BowDLER drew our attention to the fact that the men who do this. measuring work are men who are not competent to do it, and they have every induce- ment offered them, when the work is done, to make out the bills for the Contractors and that they are paid for it; and that has been repeated to us by almost every one.
A. Of course not knowing your evidence I cannot give an opinion upon it.
Q.-It does seem to me it is leaving a very great power in the hands of these Overseers, who are, according to all accounts, not men who could be relied upon, when the question of the amount of work done is dependent on them.
A.—I don't know how you arrive at such a notion, because it is opposed to facts. There is supervision. I cannot say it is close supervision, owing to press of work,
Q.—Well, would not the appointment suggested stop that?
A.—I would say appoint him, but I don't think he could cover the whole ground. You would have to rely on him and he would have to rely on the Overseers.
Q.—The private Architects say they never allow their Overseers to measure work; they do it themselves. In the Government Department there appears to be no such check.
A.-There is so little measured work in the Government Department. It is only when we cannot do a thing by contract that we fall back on measured work.
Q.-There is a great deal of measured work though?
A. Well, that work is measured by two Clerks of Works, who are a grade above Overseers. There are no Overseers in connection with house repairs. For instance, as a rule all public buildings are in charge of two Clerks of Works personally responsible for the work done in them. There are eighty, forty of which are in HoWROYD's charge and forty in CRAMP'S, and they are responsible for all work in the shape of maintenance and repairs carried out in those buildings.
Q.-But is there not a large amount of work done in your Department which is exclusively or almost so in the hands of the foremen, whose certificate as to the character of the work and amount is deemed sufficient for payment?
A.—No, not without supervision. Certainly there is room for dishonesty. They have opportunities. I don't see how you could meet that by the appointment of one measuring officer.