ROADS AND FOOTPATHS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22314, 26 April 1947, Page 4

ROADS AND FOOTPATHS

Sir,—Your footnote, although excusing the council, seems to bolster my contention that borough amenities are retarded in an effort to keep the rates down. Other cities and boroughs also suffer from hospital rating but they still manage to have better roads and foot oaths than do we. The council may have a plan, but let them rescue it from the shelf and act on it with vigour. The people don’t expect amenities for nothing and they are sick of being 30 years behind the times. Some years ago we had an engineer Mr. Alexander, who accepted an appointment ns city engineer for Dunedin after having been here only a few weeks. Before leaving he drew up an outstanding plan for the streets of the borough. Lacking the necessary pep and foresight our councillors shelved it. About 30 years ago I personally interviewed a prominent councillor and suggested that the council immediately seal every road and footpath in the borough (full-width ' fence to fence) making a permanent job and getting rid of the everlasting maintenance. He laughed and said: “Where is the money to come from?” I countered: “One loan will do the job” and suggested that if that was beyond the capacity of the council they should immediately adopt a policy of permanently sealing in bitumen .two miles of roads and footpaths (full width) per annum, out of revenue. Had this policy been adopted every road and footpath in the borough would l ave been permanently sealed years ago whereas .to-day only parts of the roads (Gladstone road, Peel street, and Childers road) and part of Clifford street ha^ v^PAY°ER