RE AMALGAMATION AND WAIHIRERE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 144, 29 June 1901, Page 2

RE AMALGAMATION AND WAIHIRERE.

(To the Editor of the Times.) Sir, —There are two matters raised by the correspondence upon tho above subject appearing in your paper recently, which deserve and call for a reply. The first is as regards Amalgamated suggestion that I should leave the question of bridges out of the amalgamation scheme. Well, for my part, if it is likely to assist amalgamation by leaving them out I would have no objection to do so should the Joint Committee think with me ; but I think if Amalgamate would sit down and calculate the matter out, and assuming that two extra bridges are necessary to connect Kaiti and Gisborne with Whataupoko, and tho present Whataupoko bridge requires widening, then ho .vould find the position to work out someiking like this: —

Interest upon this amount at 4 per cent, r’oulcl be £2OO per annum. To provide his it would require a rate less than oneighth of a penny in the pound upon the apital value of the proposed amalgamated istricts upon their present unrevised alues, which total' £433,600, and a £d ite upon this would produce £223 16s 3. Then, assuming Amalgamate owns a ropcrty having a capital value of £SOO in iy part of the three districts, ho would avo to pay a rate of 5s 2id a year ! his share of the cost of the bridges, ow. I would like Amalgamate to check lese figures,'and if he finds them correct I ill venture to think, if he is the proud jssessor of £SOO of property, he will , leerfully pay his 5s a year and admit his : •operty wherever situate will be benefited, ( and the extra conveniences afforded by the bridges will be a great boon to one and all, while his individual rate is not worth taking into consideration. The other question is raised by Whataupoko’s letter of the 24th inst., when 'he asks “ Why did I not raise the point about Waihirere before all the expense was gone to in reporting upon it ? ” Now, sir, if Whataupoko would only thing he would know to start with I had nothing to do with Mr Mestaycr’s instructions. I was not in the Council when he came here to report and receive his instructions, therefore how was it possible for me to raiso this question before I did ?—I am, etc., PoCGL.Va LVS.N’AB,

Two new bridges at <£2000 £ S. d. each Widening and strengthening 4000 0 0 Whataupoko Bridge ... 1000 0 0 Total 5000 0 0