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continuity it would be best for this Government to retain Mr. Eves if the Consulting Engineers so advise, but in view of the extra cost in which he has involved the Colony by his lack of skill and his failure to inform the Consulting Engineers of the local conditions when submitting his Bridge designs, I feel that it would be improper to retain him in exactly the same position he has hitherto held as though he had been an entire success. Perhaps some diminution of salary (which need not be publicly announced so as to cause him to lose authority with his subordinates though it will be impossible for him to disguise from them the failure of the Bridges) might serve to impress upon him the fact that he has narrowly escaped dismissal, and is retained in the future on the sole understanding that he implicitly and literally carries out the instructions he receives from the Consulting Engineers.
11. I shall be glad in this matter to be guided by the advice of the Consulting Engineers. If they are fully satisfied to retain him and assured of his ability (and reliability) to carry out the remaining work, I think it will be best in the interests of economy not to introduce a new head at this stage but I think at the same time that the situation demands some clear recognition of his