COUNTY ROADS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2217, 22 October 1907, Page 1

COUNTY ROADS.

REPORT ON BORROWING PROPOSAL .

SPIRITED PASSAGES-A T-A RM S

When tho report of the committeo sot up to consider tho finances of tho County was brought forward, at yesterday’s meeting of the County Council, Cr. Kenway moved that consideration of tho report bo deferred until some future date, so that it could be given more thorough attention. Cr. F. J. Lysnar considered ito report should bo read so that- it '' old bo published. Tho Chairman was of opinion that tho report might- bo published but not the schedule. Cr. McDonald thought tho report would bo useless without the schedule. Cr. Lysnar thought the procedure was extraordinary. There was no precedent for supressing a report by a committee. If tho report were withheld it would certainly appear to ratepayers that there was something in the report which the Council were frightened of. Cr. Matthews said there were many

things in the report to which lie personally objected, but which ho had agreed to in order to get- a certain degree of unanimity. Finally tho report was road as follows :

1. In the first place it must bo admitted that the yearly revenue 'of tho Council derived from a penny rate—which until two years ago was only levied at three farthings—is totally inadequate to improvo or even properly maintain roads throughout the County, and in consequence of an increasing traffic on the roads, they aro gradually wearing out and getting in a worse condition. Tho funds of tho Council are only sufficient'to lightly repair tho worst portions of tho roads, it being quite impossible to improvo them as tho traffic on them warrants.

2. It would bo unwiso to atto/ipt to make or improvo tho reads oi.t of rates, but the Committee considers it sound in principle and a wise course to follow, for this Council to ask ratepayers to authorise the rais-

ing of a substantial loan over the whole County for the purpose of making and improving all the roads throughout the County, provided, of course, that the rato of interest is favorable, so that posterity shall pay something towards the first and heavy cost of making tho roads.

3. If the above course were followed, only sufficient rates would bo struck to pay tho interest, and say one-half per cent, sinking fund and ordinary maintainance, as well >as ordinary administration, and on this basis the total rates for a number of years to como would be reduced, while the Council would have a very largo sum to at once proceed with to permanently improvo every road in tho County. Last year the cost of actual maintenance of the County roads totalled £9OOO, that is after deducting all expenditure in the nature of permanent work, and which practically absorbs a half-penny rato over the whole County, whereas the expenditure of tho loan moneys, hereinafter referred to, should reduce the cost of maintenance to about one-half, or say a farthing rate on the present valuations (which aro two years old} over tho whole County. While tho loan moneys aro being expended tho cost of maintenance would be still further reduced, but tho Council might take it as a fair basis, that when tlio loan moneys aro expended, a three-farthing rate would be sufficient to maintain tho roads, and provide for all general adniinistation, and also be sufficient to pay tho interest and sinking fund on a loan of £200,000, especially so when the increased values, for say the next four years, aro taken into account, as well as the fact that the present values are two years old; so practically tho Council would have 6 years of increased valuations to work upon.

■l. In a proposal of this kind it is essential for the Council to see tho loan is fairly apportioned over tlio whole County, and that each road and locality gets its fair quota of tlio Joan money lin proportions to its contributions, and upon this basis the Committee suggest the Council should work, and so define and apportion Iho loan money before tho ratepayers aro asked to vote, and when they do vote the voting papers should show specifically tho proportion of the loan each road or locality is entitled to, so that it would be hereafter impossible for tho Council to deviate of alter the quota available for each particular road or locality.

5. Considering tho very large amount of work which is urgently required to bo done on the roads to mako them passable for wheel traffic in the winter time, tho Committo considers that it requires a loan of £200,000 to substantially improvo tho roads and reduce the present heavy yearly cost of maintenance. 6. The Committee considers that not moro than 5 per cent, interest should be paid for such a. loan, and that provision should be made for a sinking fund account of one-half per cent. ■>.

7. That tlie expenditure of the loan money should bo spread over a period of say 4. years, or at the rate of £50,000 per annum; this would not unduly rush the labor market and would give ample time to get the best value for the money. 8. That power should bo given to the Council to raise such part of the loan money as it may require from time to time, as it is expended, and also to have power to make the debentures for such period ias the Council thinks fit, with power to pay off or renew the same from time to time. .

9.The clerk has been instructed to prepare a schedule showing the apportionment of the £200,000 loan, which is susceptible to alteration later on, on tho basis that each riding obtains its quota of tho loan money according to tho valuation of the property in that riding, and in proportion to the whole County, and then each road in that riding to obtain its quota according to the value of tho properties served by that particular road in that riding, and for' tho information of tho Council this schedule is attached. It will be necessary to make still further apportionments of tho allocations shown in the schedule, but the Committee desires -to leave this over and bring up a report later as to this and also tlio report upon the second question regarding the future course to be followed by tho Council in spending the yearly revenue as between the various ridings, as the time, has been too short for the committee to finally come to a conclus-

ion on theso outstanding lioads. If theso proposals aro carried into olfoct it would bo noccsnsry for all tho road boards to bo merged into the Council, othorwiso tho Council could not legally expend the. moneys on what aro now road board roads. Until rocontly tlioro 13 road boards, which received from tho Council for last year tho total sum of £1,685, but two of these—viz,tho Ngatapa and Poverty Bay Boards, which received and exponded £32o—-aro now practically merged into tho Council, leaving only 11 hoards outstanding, which rcceivo and expend tlio total sum of £1,365 on tlio basis of last year’s working. None of tlicso boards for fourteen years prior to this year have struck any general rato; they liavo merely expended what they liavo received from the Council. With tho very small amount each road hoard expends it is questionable whether the Council could not expend the money moro economically; however, uf any road board preferred to stand out it, of course, could do so, but in that ease the road board roads would got no benefit from the loan money, so far as expenditure on their particular roads aro concerned ,nnd tlio County roads in that riding would receive the benefit of the* quota that would have been allocated to the road board roads. In submitting tho figures of apportionment Mr. Warren lias been instructed to apportion tho same as though all tho road boards had been merged into tlio Council. Tho Comimtto considers that, strong efforts should bo mado to get the Government to givo a substantial siibsidy towards this loan, so as to increase the amount available for back roads such as tho main inland road to Waiapu; also wliat will l>e tlio main road to Waikaremoana and from tlioro to Waikato; also tlio Motu, Mangapoiki, Wharekopae, and other bade roads, where there are a number of Government properties, which only contribute rates to tho Council on a nominal scalo as compared with other occupied lands. With this object in view advantage was taken by three of tho Comniitteo who wero in Wellington recently of interviewing tlio Hon. Jas. Carroll and the Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, as Colonial Secretary, when tho matter was discussed in a general way, hut without any tangible result, beyond tho matter being introduced. Tlio Premier promised to assist the Council to obtain tho money in the English market at tlio lowest rato of interest, hut would mako no promise as to future subsidies, so it will bo necessary to still further press the matter, and it is hoped that somo assistance will bo obtained, to which tho County is justly entitled from the Colonial exchequer. In conclusion tho Committee recommends: (a) that the proper steps bo taken for the Council to raiso a loan of £200,000.”

it was decided to hold over consideration of tho schedule. Tlio Chairman proposed that the report bo adopted. Cr. W. D. Lysnar objected to this. Ho asked that ia. special meeting bo called to consider the matter. Cr. White thought that if tho report was held over thoso now objecting to it might change their minds. Cr. W. D. Lysnar urged a certain amount of expedition, if tho matter was not discussed before November 27th there would bo much further delay. Ho would like that discussion to bo taken early so that df the scheme wero adopted something could be done this year with the loan moneys. Cr. Ivenway moved that the matter bo discussed at the meeting of the Council to bo bold on November 27th. A month for consideration was quite littlo enough. Cr. W. D. Lysnar said that at that meeting there would be another big lot of ordinary business. A week was quito enough time for consideration. The roads at present wero in ia. disgraceful state. Personally he was jirepared to meet at any time to suit tlio convenience of those going out of town. Cr. Matthews said that lie had been into tlio question with Cr. Lysnar but there were many things which ho could not grasp, and which ho would not have anything to do with. There was no reason why a meeting should not bo called within a week. Cr. W. D. Lysnar moved that consideration bo deferred until that day fortnight. He asked if tlio Council had finally decided to suppress tho schedule. Tlio Chairman said he understood such was the fact. Cr. Lysnar said it would then bo necessary to inform tho press that tlio schedule should bo suppressed, as a copy liad already been forwarded to them. Cr. Kenway said that if this wero so it was wrong. Cr. Matthews also objected. He said that if the schedule wero published he would wash his hands of tho wliolo Committee. Cr. W. D Lysnar said lie had only handed tho schedule to tho press after it had been brought before tho Council. Cr. F. J. Lysnar said lie would not keep tlio schedule secret. He would discuss it with liis ratepayers, and perhaps he would call a public meeting to consider it. It was finally decided to take the discussion on the matter at 10.30 o’clock on tho morning of November 27tli. .