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A.-There is a great amount of road work done in the department, and how would you find that out? and a great amount of sewering. The sewers are put down and may be backed with concrete or may not, but as soon as they are put down the trench is filled in, and how are you to know?
Q.—In fact it could only be detected by an accident afterwards?
A.-But you have closed the contract with the Contractor.
Q.-But still the Overseer would be liable to dismissal or punishment?
A.-If he was found out.
Q. Suppose the sewer got choked and was opened, and it became apparent?"
A.—I have been having new specifications printed lately, and I have had to put new clauses in on my experience since I left the Government service. One is that if I find a Contractor giving presents, large or small, to any one, I fine them so much. These Contractors are very insinuating, and a foreman has to be very strong minded
to meet them.
Q.-Do find them ever cover it up?
you
A.-You expect them to build it up, but they will hurry over it sometimes.
Q.-Then the fine would be having to take it up again?
A.-One way of getting over that is this. If I have any suspicion I make the man take it up. If it is all right I pay him for the trouble of doing so;
if it is wrong of course he has to take up the whole thing.
Q.-I see sometimes broken stone and earth being measured in a square wooden box, a cubic foot. It is then placed in a heap. What check is there that the heap con- tains the right numbers of boxes full?
A. That rests between the Contractor and sub-Contractor, not the Government. Government will measure that work up when it is finished.
Q.-Then whether the heap contains 99 boxes or a hundred does not affect the Government at all?
A.-No; it is only the work being badly done that affects the Government.
Q.-Would you say it is as hopeless to prevent Overseers taking presents as to prevent railway porters at home taking them?
A.-No; it is about the same. In my opinion, when Contractors found they were not dependent as it were on the Overseers for the amount they receive, the amount of work that is passed, you would find that sort of thing would decrease very considerably.
Q.-In fact you must attack it at the roots?
A. It is not the Overseers, they are not the men, and you cannot stop that sort of thing, but you can stop it to a very great extent I am certain if the Contractors see they are not dependent on these Overseers for the amount of money they are to receive -if another officer stepped in who had nothing to do with superintending the work.
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