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Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1920, Page 2

At the County Council meeting yesterday members showed a marked unanimity on the subject of the machinery loan proposals to be decided by the electors at the poll on Wednesday next. The Overseer (Mr Millner) reported strongly in favor of the scheme, and the Chairman’s report considered the machinery' was the only salvation for the Council if the money available for expenditure over roads is to be spent at all expedituously and likewise economically. These reports being of public interest appear in this issue accompanying the Council’s report. The issue for the ratepayers is a simple one. It is a means to save money and to get work done quickly. Yesterday, works were held up because of the want of labor, and also of tenders. The money is available to expend on important works, but cannot be got under way. It is calculated that a motor lorry would do each day the work of four or five horses and drays at least, but as there is often a difficulty in obtaining one horse and dray it means that with the lorry the works could he done four times quicker—thus the lorry would do in a week what a horse and dray would take a month to do. Apart from this saving of time, which means money and also convenience to the ratepayers, the motor lorry will be run at less cost than the horses and drays required to do the same volume of work Using broken metal and rolling it, more permanent work will be done than by gravelling, the material whereof washes and blows off so rapidly, sounder material will be used and the work will stand the traffic better and last long-er-then will be less 'renewals and The Council now lias road grants to use which will involve both widening of existing roads and constructing new roads. This will he possible with machinery if the ratepayers sanction the proposal, whereas the time for completion will be indefinite if horses and drays have to be looked for and worked when available. The proposed loan is for £3,000. It is to be repaid in ten years, at £l5O per half year. The money can T>ei borrowed at a lower rate than the Council now pays for overdraft, so that there is good business in negotiating a loan in preference to paying out of overdraft. The average half-yearly payment to liquidate the loan, including interest payments, will be £lB9 7s Gd., which

will Siot ljd iih iindui! strain oil the general reveliues twicU a year. Ihd Council will riot require to levy aily special rate, as it will he possible to pay the amount out of ordinary revenue. A very siilipie proposition is thus being put before the electors. The enterprise the County Council wishes to show in this matter is merely. following the wake of other local bodies—particularly those in the North Island—which have installed machinery and have found the benefit of it. The Government is setting out in a comprehensive way to utilise road machinery becanse it has been proved profitable to do so. The expenditure of grants in this district will go a long way to help pay for the machinery, and m addition the plant can be used for hire for work on the main roads (which are under Government control) when not in use on the County roads. Tho proposition offers such attractions to the County ratepayer as a safe and sound investment and a. direct method of overcoming the shortage of labor, that the opening should be seized and the loan carried to enable the Council to do more effectively still the works it has in its charge.