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Q-Is there any other information you can give us on the points we are inquiring
about?
A.-I was thinking about that question of measuring up work after I saw you, and it struck me, knowing what I do of the department, that it would not be at all a bad idea to have a special man to measure work. You have them in all large works at home. A measuring Surveyor he is called. He has nothing to do with superintending the work or looking after it. If it is in a trench, he has to measure the concrete before it is covered up. You must understand most of this slipped work is underground work; it is covered up and you cannot see it. Sewers you see we put in a trench, filled up, and are out of sight. There ought to be a man something like Mr. FLEMING in the Royal Engineer Department. Taking into consideration the great amount of work they have in hand, the Government ought to be able to afford a good officer for that department. The Overseers you get out here are only second or third rate men. You cannot get good men here. Good men won't come out. Such a man as I speak of measures the work, makes out a statement of that work, and values it according to the schedule or contract prices, and the Contractor has to be paid by that.
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Q.-That forms the basis of the bill?
A. No, that is the bill the Contractor is supplied with. The Contractor can tell him if there is any mistake; he has the opportunity of revising it.
Q.-Then the Contractor would take that actual piece of paper to the Public Works Department to serve as his bill?
A. Yes. It would be the special office of this man to measure the work and value it. The Overseer in charge would have nothing to do with the measuring.
Q. Hon. F. B. JOHNSON.-How long were you in the department?
A. Five years. I left at the great fire.
Q.-Did your duties bring you
into connection with the contracts?
A. Yes; I had connection with all the new works; not repairs.
Q.-Had you anything to do with the selection of tenders?
A.-No; they were all sent in to Mr. PRICE, but still before Mr. PRICE opened these tenders I knew as a rule the amounts and knew the Contractors who had sent in
tenders.
Q.-But you had nothing personally to do with them?
A.-No.
Q.-The reason I asked was to ascertain whether you thought the system with regard to the advertising and acceptance of tenders was a good one.
A.-Well, it is the usual thing. I don't know that it could be improved upon. Certainly the advertisements in the Government Gazette are not much, but these Con- tractors pass the word on; they all know about it.
No comments yet.
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