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other work he has to do, I do not know. There is a great deal more formality in con. nection with permits, etc., which is unnecessary.

By the Chairman.--That brings us to the next point. You have

many rela- tions with the Public Works Department. Has anything occurred to you, in your, relations with the Public Works Department, where improvement might be effected in its dealings with the public generally?

A—Of late, we must complain very seriously of delays. It is nearly impossible to get anything put through in reasonable time now. It has been getting worse and worse of late years.

Q-And to what do you attribute that ?

A-To the impossibility of the Director of Public Works doing all he is called upon to do.

Q-In what class of work do delays occur?

A-All round.

Q-Could you give us instances?

A-I have made applications for somewhere between three and four lakhs worth of ground to be put up for public auction. Some of them are dated back three or four mouths, and I cannot get them put up to auction. I suggested that we should make a survey of one piece of ground in order to expedite matters. That was agreed to. We made the survey, and sent it up.

It is two months now, and yet I cannot get any reply. That is only one instance. If we send in plans, we do not get them back for three weeks or a month, or sometimes much longer. In the meantime, I have near- ly finished the ground floor before my plans are approved. I cannot wait. If we send in notice that a house is ready, we do not get the certificate that the house has been in- spected for nearly six weeks after.

Q-How long have these delays been going on?

A-For a long time. It is at a climax now. My opinion is that the Director of Public Works and his staff cannot cope with the work.

Q-Are there any other delays?

A-I think there are delays in every respect. An ordinary letter that is sent up is not replied to with expedition.

Q-Is there any other matter in addition to what you have already stated that suggests itself to you in the way of improvement?

A--That is a very big question-the re-organisation of the Public Works Depart- ment to expedite work and to conduct the work of the Department. It is a very big question indeed.

Q--But I mean, in your frequent relations with the Department, has anything occurred to you that you think requires remedying or improving?

A-Greater expedition is one of the first, of course. All the ordinances in con- nection with buildings, and everything of that sort are drawn up binding us down to give so many days' notice of this, that, or the other, but there is no clause, on the other hand, which binds the Director of Public Works to reply to our notices within a reasonable time.

Q-Then I take it your chief suggestion refers to improving matters with a view to securing more expedition ?

A-Yes. I have never in my experience had any fault to find as regards the work of the Department when that work is done. I have no complaint to make in that respect.