330
Q. How many new leases do you issue in the course of a year? I mean land sold, not rectified leases.
A.--In 1891 ten land sales took place and 8 extensions of existing lots.
Q.--Those are merely rectifications?
A.--They are new issues. In 1890 plans for 18 new occupations were made. Q.--Have you the figures for 1891, 1892, 1893 ?
A.-They are all in my annual reports. The documents are all printed in the Sessional Papers.
Q. Do you think that all the men you have enumerated are required? All these
overseers?
A. Yes, some of them are overseers, some of them are foremen. There is no work that requires more detailed supervision to get it properly done than repairs to buildings. You require a man on the spot to see that the work is properly done.
Q.-Who is Mr. GALE?
A.-Chief draftsman.
Q.-Is all his time taken up?
A.- Yes.
His duties are to prepare and supervise drawings and tracings generally. I will show you the plans in connection with the Sheep and Pig Depôt which will give you some idea of the contract drawings required for Public Works. It is a fair sample. He supervises and to a large extent prepares these drawings himself from the notes and sketches given by the Engineer. He sees to the preparation of tracings for the use of the Crown Agents, contractors and overseers, and is responsible for the accurate dimensions and figures contained in those tracings. He also prepares many little details required from time to time for reports that are called for by the Colonial Secretary.
Q.-Would you say he was hard-worked?
A.-I do not consider he has more work than he can fairly and reasonably be called upon to undertake and perform properly.
Q. How long does he work a day?
A. He comes at 10 and leaves at 4 as a rule. He has time for lunch. Q.-Where does he take his lunch?
A. At the Club.
(Pians shewing generally the nature of this class of work prepared in the various branches of the Department were here produced and inspected by members of the Committee.)
Hon. F. A. COOPER.-The expenditure in connection with the design and supervision of Extraordinary Public Works is 5 per cent. and Annual Recurrent Public Works 16.7 per cent.; 5 per cent. for the design and supervision of Extraordinary Public Works is a figure which, I think, is more than low. I know in England design and supervision of work cost a great deal more than that.
The CHAIRMAN.--You say that 5 per cent. is too low for Extraordinary Public Works. Don't you think 16 per cent. is too much for Annual Recurrent Works?
A.-Not including the cost of overseers. In England the engineers as a rule get 5 per cent. on the contract amount, and I know that from 7 to 12 per cent. is added for cost of supervision in special cases.
Q.-What are the salaries of the overseers ?
A.-Mr. MOORE gets $120 a month. Of course, he is a reliable man, and on a comparatively recent occasion, in sending home for an overseer, the salary was increased on account of not being able to get qualified men to come out, The case I refer to is that of Mr. WILDEY.
Q. How much does he get?
A.-$1,416 a year.
Q.-You have Mr. MUGFORD at $113 a month?
A.-$1,380 a year.
Q.-Mr. EAGER gets $85 a month?
A. Yes.
Q.-Mr. HEYWOOD $60?
A. Yes. In England you pay from 30 shillings to £3.10 a week. I never got an overseer for less than 30 shillings a week.
Mr. COOPER requested to be allowed to direct the attention of the Committee to the letter dated 6th April written in reply to their circular. He said "That letter was "written by Mr. CHATHAM, Acting Director of Public Works, and purported to express my views. I regret, however, that owing to the somewhat rough draft that I left with "Mr. CHATHAM my views were not accurately understood and Mr. CHATHAM has since
my return requested permission to withdraw his letter."
The Committee then adjourned.