( 3 )
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Q-You have read the Commission,* appointing an enquiry into the Public Works Department?
A-Yes.
Q--With regard to the first question of enquiry as to the constitution and sufficiency of the staff of the Department, I would like you to let us know what the duties of the Public Works Department include.
A-I have drawn up a Statement, marked Notes for the Public Works Commis- sion, which gives an account of most of the duties and details the different officers who have to carry them out. But I may state, in the matter of Crown land, that I have absolutely everything to do in connection with it. The statement perhaps does not show that sufficiently.
Q-We can ascertain more details about that when we come to it. I simply ask you generally the duties of your Department. Are they generally described in the State- ment which has been handed in to the Commission and circulated among the members ?
A-Yes.
Q-Then, with regard to the staff and duties, take the Director of Public Works in the first instance. I notice from the Statement that he has to look after and super- vise the staff and also to exercise some supervision over the public works going on in the Colony. Am I right in inferring from the Statement that the Director of Public Works has practically no time to exercise this power of supervision ?
A-That is so.
Q-And what is the reason of that?
A-The reason is that there is such an immense amount of office work at present that it is impossible to find time to go round and look after the staff and inspect works.
Q-Then, in the absence of the Director of Public Works, who carries out this inspection ?
A-The inspection of works is carried out by the Executive Engineers. I mean however that the Director of Public Works should exercise a general supervision as well, and then he would be in a position to know exactly how things were, and whenever any question about any particular work came up, he would be in a position to advise the Executive Engineer on any point.
Q-Under the present circumstances, owing to the mass of details to be attended to, the head of the Department is practically unable to exercise this general supervision ?
A-That is so.
Q-Then what suggestion have you to make in order to get over what, I think, may be regarded as this unsatisfactory state of affairs? What suggestion especially would
you
make in order to enable the Director of Public Works to exercise a power of general supervision ?
A-It could only be done by increasing the staff so that an Assistant Director of Public Works would be available to carry on all routine work and conduct in great measure the correspondence.
Q-Well, you told us that you yourself held the appointment of Assistant Director of Public Works. When you held that appointment, did you perform these duties?
A-I did to a considerable extent but, owing to the insufficiency of the staff, the duties of the appointment were never properly organized. There has also been a great
See Appendix No. 1.
t
No. 2.
11
13
135
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.