RELATED OFFER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21581, 7 December 1944, Page 6

RELATED OFFER

WATER SUPPLY PLAN MR GARDINER’S AID COMMENTARY MAYOR A statement that the suggestions now put .forward by Mr. J. E. Gardiner, respecting the design of the water supply augmentation scheme at Mangapoike, might have been submitted at an earlier stage if Mr. Gardiner believed them to have outstanding merit was made yesterday by the Mayor, Mr. N. H. Bull. Mr. Bun was commenting upon the suggestion that the council should consider modifications of its adopted plan. "In my statement appearing in the Herald on the 4th inst.. I stated that Mr. J. E. Gardiner evidently lacked knowledge of the present position of tlie water- supply scheme," said Mr. Bull. "In his letter in yesterday’s issue he states: 'lf the Mayor ( has made any statement since the failure of the tunnel project, then I have not rend it.’ "The long tunnel was abandoned about January last. On May 3 last I made a full statement which appeared in your columns, explaining the adoption of the consulting' enuneer.s’ scheme to gravitate the water over tlie intervening saddle between he Mangapoike and the Te Aral streams as an alternative'to the tunic-! scheme. If as Mr. Gardiner admits he has not read this' statement, it is obvious that he has not kept in close touch with the position and my comment was justified. I leave it to ‘he public to draw their own conclusions. Bad Cases of Absenteeism “II is not my intention to engage in a further paper controversy with Vlr. Gardiner, and deal categorically with the various inaccuracies that have appeared oyer his name. If he has ever had any views or suggestions on the water problem that would -ave been- helpful' to tire council or is engineers, it is a pity he had not brought them officially before the council about three years ago when the scheme was being first considered, instead of at this late stage buttonholing councillors, on street corners ind endeavouring by correspondence in the press to create confusion and uncertainty iii the public- mind. "If he wants the real- facts he has only to ring the borough' engineer, who will be only too happy to enlighten him on any points on which he is in doubt. “In conclusion I and my council believe that we have a first-rate water supply scheme,, thanks to. Mr. Clapcott, and we are going ahead with it without wasting further valuable time iiv useless bickerings and a rg aments.”