Old news from Armidale and New England

Friday 13 August 1954, The Sydney Morning Herald

GASWORKS CONDITION

ARMIDALE, Thursday. — The
Armidale municipal gas manager, Mr. R.
L. Campbell, who was suspended by Armi-
dale City Council on June 1, said to-day the
gas undertaking was in poor condition
when he took it over in 1938.

He was giving evidence
at an inquiry by Mr. J. A.
Harris, former S.M., into
the suspension.  

The council suspended Mr.
Campbell after considering a
report by the former principal
gas engineer in the Depart-
ment of Local Government,
Mr. Allan Brown.  

Mr. Campbell said to-day
that major difficulties with
shortages of materials, labour
and repairs arose during the
war and continued after the
war.  

He said most of the recom-
mendations made by Mr.
Brown in reports on the
undertaking in 1950 and 1951
had been substantially com-
plied with.  

There was keen competition
between the gas department
and other departments of the
council for services of the
city engineer's blacksmith's
shop and other works facilities.

However the City Council
engineer, Mr. J. D. Brown,
had always given priority to
the urgent needs of the gas
department.

Mr. Campbell said that in  
one period of six months his
own overtime worked out at
an average of 10 hours a
week.

He received no payment for
overtime from the council.

Up to 1950, when Mr.
Allan Brown's report was
made, there were still delays
of up to two years in getting
equipment.