The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY. JANUARY 26, 1909. THE BOROUGH LOAN PROPOSALS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2409, 26 January 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY. JANUARY 26, 1909. THE BOROUGH LOAN PROPOSALS

It was a- ludicrous spectacle with which the meeting in the Garrison Hall was concluded last night. The hour was close upon midnight, and the Mayor had talked so persistently and incessantly that the bulk of the audience had gone home, yet still he held tho platform, and, amidst the uncontrollable laughter of those present, blundered in hopeless fashion with a resolution and amendment that lie wished to put before the meeting. His Worship does not show to advantage at a public meeting, and last night’s gathering was only another illustration of his weakness in this important Mayoral capacity. There was not at any time as large .an -attendance as we should have wished to see present to discuss important public matters, but there was a sufficient number to lend some weight to any conclusions that were arrived at. Unfortunately, Air. Lysnar handled the meeting in such a way that tho majority of the audience had left for home long before the groat question of drainage , came up for a vote. His Worship, with that extraordinary loquacity which is one of his most prominent characteristics, made his speech upon th<f road proposals' .so lengthy, and so wearisome that his hearers became thoroughly bored, and once the vote had been taken upon this subject got up almost in a body and left- for home. There was little opportunity for 'ratepayers present to speak, and any remarks made became merely the text for another speech by His Worship, who in one way and another Hold tho floor from shortly after eight o’clock until a quarter to twelve. By this time there wore so few left in the building that the ALayor announced that whichever way the vote went he would still have the wishes of tho Council made effective and tho Alestayor scheme would' go to tho poll. This was quite proper, for it would v have been manifestly unfair to .have allowed tho remnants of a meeting, including many who had simply stay-

cd on “for; the fun of the thing” to ] have prevented tho question of drainage from- going /before the ratepayers. Coming to the subject matter ol discussion there was really nothing? introduced that lias not already received ample publicity. AVhat discussion there was went in the direction wc have favored throughout, namely, that .the .Mayor's ■ views as to the results to be obtained from the proposed expenditure are absurdly optimistic. Subjected to cross-questioning, he was .forced to admit that the work proposed to be done on roads other than tho .main, thoroughfares will bo anything but “permanent,” and, it may be added, they will certainly re-quire-renewal within- a few years ol bring put Mown.. The borough• has no moral or other right to raise a loan with a view to handing the cost -of such work down to posterity. The question of valuations is evidently a sore point with many ratepayers, who fail to view with joyful anticipation the Town Clerk’s estimate of increased valuations. Til this connection the protest of Councillor Darton against His Worship introducing figures which the Council had objected to accept threw some light upon the situation. On the question of drainage, Alin Lysnar took up an extraordinary attitude. Instead of explaining the Alestayor scheme which the Council Had decided to place before the public, His AVorsliip, who stood on the platform as tho representative of the-Council, chose the-opportunity to push the alleged merits of another scheme altogether, that of Air. Jickell. Here again lie was met by a protest on the part of Councillors Darton and Sheridan, and altogether a very unpleasant situation was created, and the only consoling feature was the light that was thrown upon the attitude of the Alayor towards the Council. So far as tho Jickell scheme is concerned Air. Lysnar himself completely killed any chance it might have had of being seriously considered by the Council by the foolish, reckless, and blundering method in which ho tried to force it on his colleagues. However, wc do not believe the ratepayers have lost anything bv the result, for the report of the Palmerston North engineer is by no means a convincing document when the facts and figures are closely analysed. At the present time we have no hesitation in saying that the Alestayor scheme is by far the best one now before the public. Its cost, however, is excessive, and we are still hopeful that a means will be found of providing Gisborne with reasonable sanitation at a much lower figure than that which has been submitted. However, the various proposals will be placed before the ratepayers at an early date, aud it is to he hoped they will receive the utmost consideration. Our own view is that not one of them is justified in its present form, although a loan for really permanent road works, planned out on a sound and business-like basis, would secure our cordial support.