ARE THEY STARVED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 27 February 1912, Page 4

ARE THEY STARVED

>r BOROUGH DISCUSSION ON OUR ROADS. OR. PAGET UP IN ARMS. 111 TkWe AVas a very' animated discussion on the roads at last night’s special meeting of the Borough Council, the chief bone of contention arising out of a list of estimates and the actual expenditure incurred. •• ■ :w. -mo ' He asked what amount of •metal had I ''-' been put 1 on the roads, 1 but 1 the OvCrA'ii Seer could 'not give him' :i definite re- 1 w ! ply.' : Cr. Paget continued that it was fl tlie duty of the officers of the Council'• i to supply them with accurate informati'oii in full. He quite failed to 'see what had been done with the 1168' •• yards of metal which the report said l ', had been placed on the roads'! He had been over the roads a good deal, and 1 could find nothing that could ! account ' ” for this quantity of metal. ; Cr. Sangster remarked that it should he remembered that estimates were approximate. If they had allowed for too great a quantity of metal they were erring on the right side, and so much the better. The Mayor remarked that Cr. Paget was working on the lines that the full quantities estimated should be used whether they were required or not. Cr. Paget: I’m not working on any lines at all. I want accurate information. The quantity of material has been, grossly over-estimated, or else our streets have been starved. I’m not imputing blame to anybody. I want my ignorance to he 'enlightened by those who know more than I do. The Town Clerk said that the Works Committee had decided that the metal was not required, because the streets were in good order. Cr. Paget: That should have been reported to the Council. T Tb« Mayor said the idea of the Works Committee was that since the stone was not required it had not been obtained. Cr. Paget; Tins d screpancy bears an ugly appearance to me. You’re proposing to spend money on a roller, with this statement as a basis, .and tins shows that you’ve underspent on your streets by £BB2. No wonder you’re in pocket. You don’t spend the money that should be spent, hut afterwards you’ll have to spend half as much again. You estimated that £2069 would have to be spent, and yon spend only £llß7. I’m'trying to get at whether the quantity has been over-estimated or under-supplied. On the motion of Cr. Mormon it was decided to obtain a report of what stone had been used during the year, the overseer to do h : s best to give as much detail as possible.