CO129-349 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [10-12] — Page 385

379

In

despatch that "no immediate action was necessary",

these circumstances the control of the local Government

over the Chief Resident Engineer and the exercise of its

discretion in judging of the work and of calling in any

expert advice it may desire appear to be reduced to a min-

imum.

5.

I may add in reference to the

CA

32972

4th. paragraph of the letter of the Consulting Engineers

of the 2nd. September, 1908 that the Chief Resident Engin-

eer was called upon to make a statement with regard to

the bridges and to give his opinion regarding the cracks

(a) first verbally by me in the presence of Mr. Griffin

(b) on Mr. Chatham's report and (c) on the report of the

Committee. In reference to paragraph 5 the Consulting

Engineers are under a misapprehension in thinking that

any orders whatever have been given to the Contractors or

sub-contractors regarding their contract work except through

the Chief Resident Engineer. The Contractor in question

was employed by Messrs. Leigh and Orange and not by the

em-

Chief Resident Engineer. It is a fact that he was

ployed to make the borings for the Cormittee but he is

also employed on other works by the Director of Public

Works.

I do not think that the position of the Chief

Resident Engineer has been in any way discredited by the

action.