The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1907. THAT £200,000 LOAN.

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

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1907. THAT £200,000 LOAN.

AVe do nob propose to- follow Sir. AY. D, Lysnar through liis labored statement of what actually transpired at Thursday might’s -meeting of the Cook County Council, being chiefly concerned in- a desire to see all the necessary faefk made -public before the ratepayers arc asked to sanction a. heavy loan. In this respect it is not out of placo to again remind Cr. Lysnar that lie has not yet ,given proof that would be considered satisfactory by any cautious business man that the floating of tho loan -and thp subsequent operations will permit a reduction of hates from Id to 3d. Ho now states that tho committee supported- liian in this contention. Tho report seeans to bear this out, ibut as a matter of fact tin's support appears to have been of a particularly weak mature, considering that two members of tfchc committee of four were absent, -and -the only one -present informed the meeting that -after more careful consideration lie could not see Iris -way to support the clause referring to maintenance. , In other words, it occurred to Captain Tucker, -as it would to -anyone giving the matter careful thought, that there is every reason to believe 'that the construction of several hundred- miles of macadamised' roads would' materially increase the cost of maintenance over tho whole coil-nty. In any case, these a-ro not -matters for generalisation -by Air. .Lysnar or any other particular Councillor. It is for the Council as a -whole to go carefully into the iniatsfcer, ascertain, what are the special requirements of each riding, how they can be satisfied', and wlnart tlie -annual cost will be. It is not sufli•fiient for Mr. Lysnar to -get up and say tiiat such and such a riding will be a.ble to have such and such a sum. Tho Council, acting on tho assistance of the Engineer, must -ascertain first what tho necessities of that riding are; secondly, wh-at amount its rateable value justifies expenditure on it; thirdly, what metal supply is conveniently available; and, fourthly, wfliat quantity of traffic is -likely to pass over the roads. Only in this way can an approximate idea ho obtained of lio-w many -miles in the County ©an bo macadamised with ai £200,000 loan, and' what the maintenance charges are likely to be. AVithou-t these facta it -is folly to talk of going to itho ratepayers. Our correspondent endeavors to put us in the position of opposing -the loan by inferring that wo support Nature’s tracks in preference to • -properly formed roads, “even though tho latter cost you something.” Tlio last sentence contains tho crux of the matter. -AVe will support tho loan provided expert ■evidence shows that the ratepayers will Tecei.ro value for their money, -whereas Air. Lysnar -wishes them to take a leap in the dark by promising that these well-formed roads will practically speaking cost them nothing. It is satisfactory to no-to that the remainder of the -Councillors share our own views on this matter, and, realising more keenly than docs Cr. Lvsnair what tli-eir responsibilities areally are, have arranged for a close investigation of tho position before -taking- further action.