COPY.
Hon. Director of Public Works.
I have to report that my present staff is insufficient for the works which I shall have in hand in the immediate future.
Some of the works mentioned in my report of August 29th are already in hand, and plans are now being prepared for others. In addition, I am obtaining particulars to prepare plans for extending the storage capacity at Tytam, and there are other works recommended in Mr. Cooper's report of 1896 which are needed but cannot be completed for some years to come.
Owing to the distance of Tytam from the City, this work will occupy the greater part of the time of one Engineer and the whole time of a European Overseer, and the works now projected for extending the City supply are sufficient to fully employ these two additional men for some years to come.
I therefore request that authority be obtained for the additional appointments of an Assistant Engineer and an Overseer to my Department Branch (Waterworks) for this work, and that the Crown Agents be authorized to send out two suitable men as early as possible. I venture to suggest that Mr. Chadwick should be consulted when selecting them.
Both should be appointed under the usual conditions of a three years' agreement. The former should have had some experience in construction with a general training in Water Supply Works. Such an Assistant Engineer might, I think, be obtained for the same salary on which I came out in 1891, viz. $2,400 per annum and $288 travelling allowance. This is slightly in excess of the salaries now drawn by Messrs Gibbs, Gale, and Hollingsworth of $2,328 per annum, an odd figure which it seems a pity to perpetuate.
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