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Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2137, 12 March 1908, Page 2

THE STATE OF THE ROADS. . "When .Mr. lan Siiuson- waited on Iho Borough Council over a month ago, ami, on behalf of a number of residents of Victoria Township, protested against whit ho described as the disgraceful condition of Salisburystreet, there was a disposition to protest against the vehemence of the complainant’s protest. It was not not denied that Mr. Siinson’s allegation was justified, but the City Fathers wero evidently hurt to think an irate ratepayer should have had so •little consideration for their feelings in his manner of making his grievance known. There was a noticeable air of relief as the deputationist made his way out; someone remarked that Salisbury-strect was no worse than nnny others; and the Council ..proceeded with more pressing business. Subsequently the matter was referred to the Overseer, and recently a few loads of loose shinglo have been thrown on the footpath in tho locality referred to, but the roadway remains as before. Thus the affairs of the Borough aro conducted. Sleeting follows meeting with dreary reiteration, and still nothing is done to remedy what one would imagine would be the first subject of discussion at every meeting of the Council, namely, the wretched condition of tho roads. Last winter tho majority of tho Borough thoroughfares wore in such a fearful state as to be almost impassable for traffic, and apparently the coming winter will find things oven worse. It is not that the Council have not been told of tho facts. The late Engineer placed tho position plainly before the Councillors —apparently too plainly for some of them —the local press lias also taken up the matter, and deputations of influential citizens have attended at meetings, giving not only specific complaints, hut also valuable suggestions for coping with the work, and still there seems no disposition to take tho necessary steps to put the roads in decent shape. The reason for inaction can scarcely be laid down to tho inability of the community to pay for roads; at any rate, a Council which blithely jumps at a drainage scheme to cost £50,000 for a commencement, and an untold amount in the future, can scarcely advance such a reason and preserve a reputation for consistency. Tho roads are so bad in the wet months that tradespeople declared last season that tho extraordinary cartage expenses compelled them to make higher charges to the consumers than would have been the case in other towns, whilst milkmen and others would occasionally refuse to call on customers living along thoroughfares that were particularly bad. This is a state of affairs that probably will not find a parallel in any other important town of the Dominion, and the failure of the Council to make any serious attempt to deal promptly with the question can only be accepted as an admission of incapacity. The drainage scheme, which is absorbing so much attention just now, is, of course, important enough to justify all the time that is devoted to it, but in the meantime the Council should find sonic effective answer to those who with reason declaim against the disgraceful condition of our roads.