Robert Peirce (engineer)

Robert Peirce (1863–1933) was a British-born civil engineer who served as Municipal Engineer in Penang, Malaysia and Singapore.

Early life

Robert Peirce was born in 1863 and trained as a civil engineer in Manchester before moving to the Straits Settlement of Penang in modern-day Malaysia in 1891.

He started his career articled to Mr. R. Vawser, M. Inst. C.E., of Manchester but spent several years in Birmingham, where he was engaged as resident engineer for the corporation working on the construction of cable tramways. Before arriving in Penang, Peirce was employed as assistant to Pritchard & Co., civil engineers, of London and Birmingham.[1]

Penang Municipal Engineer 1891-1901

Peirce was engineer to the Municipal Commissioners of George Town, Penang from 1891 to 1901. He was rumoured to be in contention for the same role in Singapore in 1895[2] but remained in Penang till 1901. He made a revealing public comment in 1900 when, urging the Penang Magistrate to deal severely with water wasters, he said average water consumption in Penang "far exceeded that of Singapore." [3] His focus on "water wasters" would continue in Singapore.

He won the competition to design the Jubilee Clock Tower to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria[4] The gleaming whitewashed tower is topped by a Moorish dome. It has four tiers: the base is octagon-shaped and the following two tiers comprise four distinct sections with elaborate windows, balconies and a working clock on each side. The topmost tier is rounded off with Roman pillars and topped with a golden dome cupola. The six steps leading up to the main entrance denote the number of decades of Queen Victoria's reign.[5]

Jalan Peirce in Penang is named after the Municipal Engineer.

In 1901, reviewing the Municipal engineering department in Penang since Peirce's arrival, the Straits Times commented on the improvements made and the absolute smoothness of operations in the department. Penang's loss was Singapore's gain.[6]

The Jubilee Clock Tower.

Singapore Municipal Engineer 1901-1916
Group photograph

In Singapore, Peirce is best known today for his work on the Kallang River Reservoir or the Lower Peirce Reservoir.[7] While construction began in 1902 - a year in which Singapore experienced a serious drought - the scheme was conceived by a previous Municipal Engineer James MacRitchie[8] in the early 1890s. The reservoir was completed in 1910 according to the commemorative plaque and opened in March 1912. The reservoir and its importance to Singapore is comprehensively described in a contemporary newspaper article[9] For maps and photographs of the Kallang River Reservoir see reference.[10]

Peirce was warmly praised for his work on water supply: 'Singapore now has one of the finest water supplies in the world, and to get that on a tiny island which has no river much bigger than a ditch must have meant long and earnest study and a fine capacity for making the most of available means'[11] The reservoir was renamed the Peirce Reservoir in 1922 in recognition of Peirce.

In Singapore, Peirce was responsible for the completion of the Pearl's Hill Service Reservoir in 1902, for the completion of the Woodleigh Filters and the Kallang Tunnel Works, and for the construction of numerous roads.

He authored a 1905 report on night soil collection by pail, and disposal at sea, which was approved by the Municipal Commission only to be overturned in favour of a water borne sewage system. In this matter, Peirce showed himself to be conservative and not an early adopter of new technology. At that time a water borne sewage system had been operating for 20 years in Rangoon. The 'Pail' versus 'Sewer' debate is discussed by 'Brenda Yeoh in Contesting Space in Colonial Singapore'.[12] However Peirce demonstrated his confidence in new materials and construction methods with his design and approach to the construction of the Anderson Bridge, Singapore's first steel bridge, in 1910. In this case, certain of the fabrication works was done locally, although the main steel structure was imported from Britain.[13]

Three Reservoirs in Singapore are named after influential Municipal Engineers: James MacRitchie, Robert Peirce and David J. Murnane. Thanks to his many contributions, Peirce was named one of four 'Builders of Modern Singapore'[14] in 1929 along with Messrs Farrer, Middleton and Gentle. In addition, Peirce was recognised through the naming of Peirce Road and Peirce Hill, off Holland Road in Singapore.

Peirce also served on the building committee which was formed to oversee the erection of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall completed in 1905.[4] Looking at his design of the Jubilee Clock Tower in Penang one can see some similarities with the clocktower of the later Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore

Over the long term, Peirce was responsible for initiating plans to import water from Johor. In this work, Peirce was ably supported by his deputy Stephen Williams who came to be known as the 'father of the Gunong Pulai water scheme'. When it commenced in 1927, this huge project would feed the new Seletar reservoir, the Pearl's Hill service reservoir and a new Fort Canning service reservoir.

Singapore Water Drought of 1902

During the drought of 1902 the Water Department cut supply to just 2–3 hours per day. Singapore faced a severe shortfall in water and stored water was estimated to be 70 million gallons, or less, against consumption of 2.5 million gallons per day. Evaporation from the reservoir made the situation worse and there were daily records of the falling water level in the reservoir.[15]

There was public pressure to prioritise the town's water supply over 'shipping interests'. The leader writer in the Singapore Free Press Weekly recognised the needs of the port and shipping industry for fresh water had to be considered as 'most important' otherwise '[Singapore] may as well be shut up'.[16]

Water meters were already in use in Singapore in 1902. In an article during the 'Water Famine' a householder complained of his meter whizzing round even though only air came through the pipe. The householder feared being charged the tariff (20 cents per 1,000 gallons or 4.4 cents per m3) but was assured by the Water Department that his bill would be corrected to the average consumption over previous months.[17] The same article highlights that, in searching for water and drilling artesian wells, it was discovered that no geological survey of the island of Singapore had ever been undertaken.

Another faulty water meter resulted in a court case involving attempted bribery of a Water Department official. A large water consumer was convicted of offering a bribe to have his faulty water meter left alone and uncorrected.[18]

Controversy over Executive Salaries and Resignation in 1906

In March 1906 Peirce tendered his resignation over a pay dispute. Parts of the media jumped to his defence stating the role of Municipal Engineer in Singapore was "by far the most important of its kind in the Straits Settlements" and the case was "an illustration of the eternal truth that one had to pay the market price [to get the services and counsel of good men]" [19] A proposal by Municipal Commissioners to hike Peirce's pay was criticised by other active local media who decried paying "enormous salaries to high officials, in many cases twice what they would get in private life" [20] Comparisons with other highly paid officials, and a comparison with what his predecessor was earning in private practice, were advanced in support of Pierce's pay increase but the Government refused.[21] Peirce resigned and there is a reference to the Municipal Commission resigning en masse. Anyway the matter was settled and ultimately Peirce got the 50% pay increase he demanded (to £1,500 p.a). He remained as Municipal Engineer.[22] Although it disagreed with the decision on behalf of ratepayers and on the principle that 'no man is indispensable', The Eastern Daily Mail proved a useful and independent check on the Municipal Commission.

Peirce, a captain in the Singapore Royal Engineers (Volunteers), resigned his commission in May 1906, presumably in expectation of leaving Singapore.

Who's Who entry

Here is the entry in Who's Who in the Far East 1906/7: "PEIRCE, Robert (SINGAPORE), M.I.C.E.; Municipal Engineer; b. Jan. 21, 1863. Educ. : Manchester, England. During 1880-1891 engaged on construction of Drainage, Water Works, Bridges and Tramways in Lancashire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire; prepared scheme and despatched all materials and plant for Water Supply of Pretoria, South Africa; appointed Municipal Engineer, Penang, by General Sir Andrew Clarke, in 1891; resigned to take up appointment of Municipal Engineer, Singapore, in 1901; during service in Straits Settlements has designed and constructed Roads, Bridges, Sea Walls, Reservoirs, Drains, Abattoirs, Sewerage Systems and Jetties; last work being the raising of dam of Impounding Reservoirs."[23]

After Singapore and Controversy over defective work

Peirce went into business as an engineer in London sometime after retiring as Municipal Engineer in Singapore in 1916. His firm acted as agent for the Singapore Municipal Commission in London. After his retirement in 1924, Williams joined Peirce in business.

In 1923, the Municipal Engineer Col Pearson made allegations about defective work on the 'Kallang Reservoir Dam'. He went so far as to question whether the Municipal engineering staff (Peirce and his deputy Williams) may have colluded with the contractor to use sub-standard clay which resulted in leakage in the dam. There was extensive newspaper coverage over 3 days in April 1923 and discussion in the Municipal Commission. Peirce wrote a lengthy letter to defend the work.[24]

Death

Peirce died in 1933 in Gibraltar.

References
  1. "Iron from London, on December 4, 1891 · Page 22". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  2. "Untitled".
  3. "PERHAPS THEY BATHE THERE".
  4. "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  5. "The Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower in Penang - Georgetown Attractions". Penang.ws. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. "Untitled".
  7. Singapore, National Library Board. "Lower and Upper Peirce reservoirs - Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  8. "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  9. "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  10. "Kallang River, set for rejuvenation, has been supplying water to S'pore for 105 years".
  11. "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  12. Yeoh, Brenda S. A. (18 September 2018). Contesting Space in Colonial Singapore: Power Relations and the Urban Built Environment. NUS Press. ISBN 9789971692681 – via Google Books.
  13. "The Heritage Bridges – Singapore River's Grand Old Dames". 25 October 2015.
  14. "NewspaperSG - Terms and Conditions". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  15. "Untitled".
  16. "Municipal Water".
  17. "THE WATER FAMINE".
  18. "BRIBERY ENCOURAGED". National Library Board. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  19. "Mr. Peirce Resigns".
  20. "WHOLESALE RESIGNATION".
  21. "OFFICIAL PAY".
  22. "OUR MUNICIPAL ENGINEER".
  23. "Full text of "Who's who in the Far East, 1906-7, June"". Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  24. "THE KALLANG DAM". National Library Board. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
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