The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-20 00:00:00

JERSEY.

A GILEAT LOSS has been sustained in the island by the
death of Mr. Durell Lerrier, jun., lieutenant-baihff, at
the age of fit, after a long illness.
THIS !SLUM is singularly unfortunate with regard to its
telegraphic communication, A fortnight ago, as then
reported, a fracture-occurred in the cable lying between
England and Guernsey, about :11 miles distant from that
island, and the repairs are not yet effected in consequence
of the non-arrival of the requisite steamer. To add to the
inconvenience experienced the cable of the Sub-
marine Telegraph Company, lying between Jersey and the
coast of France, ceased working on Monday, and no
communication has since been obtained with the
Continent Jersey is thus cut off from all telegraphic con-
nexion with England and France.
SIR JOHN COOVE AND TIIE ILIRBOUR
WORKS.
The following, from the Jeracy Express, may well
be pondered by 1401:11e of our local legislators at the
present time :
" Tug Gitrar Econ.—The great event of the year for
Jersey may be said to have taken place yesterday, when
Sir John Goode appeared before the States to tender
some explanation with respect to the new harbour works.
Sir John Goode, his son, and Mr. Doric Bell were in
attendance at an early hour. Deputy Durell, as was
naturally to be expected, questioned Sir John very cloddy
on matters appertaining to the expenses incurred by the
engineering staff, which he considered unnecessary,
seeing that only one-half of the works were being carried
' on at the present time-, but the putting of these questions
appeared to call forth tho disapprobation of several of the
members. With respect to the question of Concrete a
Granite, Sir John produced • piece of the former, taken
from the works at Holyhead, made twenty-five years ago,
I and gave it as his opinion that the longer concrete was in
uae the harder it became. The breakwater, he said, had
not been in the least degree deviated from, but was being
' carried out in strict accordance with the act of the
States. True, he thought it ads isable to extend the
breakwater 300 feet, the additional coat of which would
be about £11i,500. This, however, was necessary in
order to obtain a secure shelter, which was the
chief object of the States. In answer to questions, Sir
John expressed his doubts as to whether the work
could be done any better by tender than by day work.
He also informed the house that since his estimate there
had been a material advance in the price of labour' in
addition to which coal and iron had risen in price to the
extent of SID per cent., and this would naturally add to the
original estimate. And here we will remark is where we
see the benefit the States would have derived had the
work been riven by contract at the first onset. IWith
the system of day s work, an advance in the price of
labour means an additional coat to the island of the under-
taking, and the same may be said with regard to the rise
in the price of coil and iron. But bad the method of con-
tract been adopted, the contractors would have had to bear
the brunt, and this just makes all the difference between
the contract and day work system. Deputy Doren idea
It we understand him rightly, was to curb the extravagant
expenditure which has been going on for so long a thoc,
and in the interests of the public, and as one of their
representatives, he was justified in striking home at the
monster evil and we admire him for it, albeit it was plainly
to be seen that he received but little support in his efforts
to weed the undertaking of superflous expenditure. Inc
engineering staff should certainly be reduced now that the
works are confined to the breakwater only, and since Sir
John has admitted that the sum of ,Ll,OOO per annum
would be too great for such a service if the works
were carried on by contract, we can only arrive
at the conclusion that the island is laying more for
engineering services than is really necessary. In our
opinion no further proof is wanting than the words
which escaped from the lips of Sir John to show that
the money of the island is being foaled away to benefit
certain
.parties. Sir John has an idea that conanittees
are the beet managers of public affairs, but from this we
beg to differ, and if the Harbours Committee had done
its duty, La Collette would not now be so thickly studded
with handsome structures, reared up at the cost of the
island, and the money wasted which might have been
applied to the use of the harbours proper instead of being
diverted in an opposite channel. In the meantime the
breakwater will progress under the present day-work
system, and with the same engineering staff, notwith-
standing we are told in effect by Sir John that no con-
tractors would ever think of spending .C 2,100 in engineer-
ing marsh:as. After this admission, surely there must be
something wrong in • country whose statesmen cannot
see an inch beyond their nasal organs. There is every
reason why the funds at the disposal of the island should
be carefully administered and yet, in spite of this,
reckless expenditure seems the order of the day, or
rather the rule and not the exception in the Island of
Jersey.