THE £200,000 LOAN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2071, 24 December 1907, Page 2

THE £200,000 LOAN.

[To the Editor.] , Sir. —I am not inclined to allow your leading article on tho above subject to go without protest lest jwrne of your readers may think tho statements of fact, upon which you base yoflr rein arks are correct when infact they are not. In the first place you say after I had siiokeii in support ot the scheme “Councillors proceeded to ask questions, and responses to every query showed tho naive simplicity of the premotor etc.” As a- matter of falot .1 have not yet replied to any queries raised' by any Councillors in reply to my remarks. The adjournment was made before I did so and it was Tin do known to tho meeting both by the chairman and myself that any reply was held over until next meeting. Under these circumstances it is quite unfair of you to make it appear as though I had replied and failed to answer tho aueries. You go on to state till it 1 failed to give a tittle of evidence that tho cost of maintenance would he reduced in tho manner stated. “All that lie did advance was bis own personal opinion that a properly constructed metalled road- will require .less inaintonunco than a 'poorly metalled one. . This of course -is correct, hut tho majority of the roads in the county are not- onetailed at all and consequently little is spent.” In the first place you are quite in error in stating I only supported this assertion with my own opinion, but I distinctly stated I relied upon tho report of the committee. You ought not to forget twit one of the councillors on that committee is a. duly qualified engineer and it is not- to be expected that he would sign an unqualified .report on this head if lie had not arrived at a mature decision on the matter, i might add tho committee were unanimous on this head. They state in this report that “last year the cost oi maintenance totalled £9,000, hut ly the expenditure of the loan money it should reduce tho cost of maintenance, etc., about one half. 1 also quoted as aai illustration the.metalling of the iroad from about the VVai.paoa bridge to AicLougMan s at I atutahi which was done 21 years ago by the Council, and according to the clerk for the first 10 years the cost of maintenance was practically ml, and then until 4 or 5 years back it would not be more than £1 a. mile; but since then it lias been more costly , and this, too, upon a road that carried all the Hangaroa .and AAiairoa traffic, and for a long time,, until the road from Patutahi to the quarry was metalled, it also carried .a great, deal, if not nearly all, the traffic f rom the quarry. „ ... . I also quoted tlie case of some AY airoa iroad metalling that- was done by the Government over 4 years ago when there was some surplus metal .eft which is still there unused with green mold on it because tho road did no-, require repairing and will not to? some time yet, judging by its present condition, and in the meantime it lias cost nothing to repair. In both those cases a. lighter coat of metal wais put on than is proposed by the new loan. You yourself vor.v fairly .admitted that a properly metalled road will cOsyti lees to repair than a. poorly nietailed one, and when you admit tins you admit alll; but you go on to say that the majority of ,roads in the countv are not metalled and consequently little as spent. Surely you wilii not seriously argue that a. progressive district like this should no*.properly make its roads because they will cost something to imam tain 1 1 will agree with you that while we use pig or cattle tracks as roads tlu-v will cost us nothing to maintain, but if we make those tracks into properly formed roads it will costussometiiing, but I trust and hope, Air Editor, jou will fail to educate tho ratepayers of this progressive county .up to what is apparently your ideal standard ol progression. 1 think, Air Editor, ,it is a. pity you did not join the detectives in their hunt for Hare Matenga over the pig tracks. Had you done so I am sure you would not liavo advocated Nature’s tracks instead oi properly formed roads, even though ■the latter cost you something. Then you say there was no mention of the actual requirements of the oilferent districts or of adjustments as between ridings, and when the folly of submitting such a schedule to the ratepayers was pointed out Air Lv=nar calmly persisted in inviting the chairman to suggest ,a better method there and then and Captain Tucker refused 1 until they obtained information from tbe Engineer. Now, sir, on these two heads you are quite in error, for bothlieadishave been very m-uch considered. 'The motion itse'l'f actually provided for an adjustment as between AA’bataupoko, AYainrata and Toiaga. ridings, but .apart from this the Engineer had been instructed in writing on behalf of tbe committee to go into the matter and lie prepared a schedule based upon ,a contribution by tlie outside ridings to the inner ridings for a period of 42 years which gave an extra £6BOO to tlio Gisborne riding.. 1 stated that I did not believe in tying tho hands of future Councils for so long a term, yet I would, not object to the Engineer’s suggestion providing it was distinctly stated in tlie loan proposals that the outer ridings were discharged for any further contributions for 42 years. The chairman stoutly refused to approve of fc»e outer ridings being discharged. He wanted to. gracefully accept the £6,800 and leave the question of future •annual contribution to the sweet will of tlie Council, and this is tlie whole question the committee split 'upon. 1 am sure no matter with wliat spirit or object you have in- trying to pick holes in tlie scheme you must admit it would be quite unfair for the outer ridings to pay . a lump sum of £6,800 to tho cliarman’s iridinig .as for. 42 years contributions without getting a. discharge for that period. On the other' head about the spending of the money: tbe Engineer hits also considered and reported on this and has actually prepared a detail schedule showing hoiv he would suggest the money should be expended. Summarised ho recommends it being spent as follows, viz: Aletal ... ... 130,899 Reforming and widening 17,20 S Forming and deviations ... 25,336 Bridges ... ' ... ••• 20,300 Road plant (suggested outside engineer’s report) 3.000 Contingencies 3,257 £200,000 With this explanation I trust you will look more closely into tho anatter and instead of throwing cold water on what is a sound, prudent and necessary scheme which will reduce our rates from. Id to 3d with untold benefits, that you will see your way to support it'. I admit criticism of a proposal of this mature is good, but tho fairness of it can only be, judged by your attitude when explanations are " made. In conclusion. I niignt state that I was not in the least discouraged by tlie attitude of some c.f the councillors at the last meeting, for I feel sure that at least a majority of the councillors will treat tlie matter fairly and refer it to the ratepayers in due course. — I am. etc., AY. DOUGLAS LYSNAR.