The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1913.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3994, 26 July 1913, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1913.

There is at last some prospect of an nr ran cement he-

A Bad Bargain for the Borough.

<ll J. tl 111/ MLmg made duder which the County Council will

agree to pay more remunerative rates than have hitherto prevailed in respect of the supplies of Gentle Annie metal which it obtains under its agreement with the borough authorities. For all the delay which has taken place over this matter it would, however, hardly do to blame the present administration, although Mr Kirk and his, colleagues must have been aware of the true position for the whole of the threo months that they have been in office. As is well known, the County Council should, or rather; would, havo

been approached twelve months pieviously If the late adniinistration had appreciated straight away the real financial aspect of the Borough’s metal supply undertaking. It was not ,of course, known before the scheme was put into operation that a very sorry bargain had been made as between the Borough and the County, nor was it) realised that the whole business was going to turn out as unfortunate so far as the Borough itself was concerned. What we have said from time to time upon the subject since the first figures that threw light on the working costs became available will doubtless be well remembered. In this connection we should just like to call attention to the opportunity which the late administration had to go into the matter as fully as has since been done when we exposed the approximate position in July lust at the time that there was a loan proposal before the ratepayers with the object of having the cost of the undertaking mot other than out of the street improvement account. All the satisfaction that we had on that occasion, it will be recalled, was that one member of the council—Cr. Collins it was—“fell badly in” (as the saying goes) on attempting to go to the rescue of the late administration in the matter. But we can pass on until April last, when the Council (which should have put this and many other matters right, but didn’t) was in its dying hours. Then it was, it will be remembered, that a return —obtained on the motion of the councillor whose name has just been mentioned—was presented showing, as we had so long contended, that the undertaking was resulting in a very serious loss to the Borough. Unhappily, however, this important return was not accompanied by another return showing what loss was being experienced solely on account of the County getting the metal which it was purchasing so much below actual cost, the explanation (which was perfectly reasonable) being that the then Borough Engineer had not been allowed sufficient time to prepare the information. But perhaps it would have been all the same had both the returns instead of only one been available, for Mr P t ettie, who was still

Mayor, tried to make out though not in so many words that in the official return the Town Clerk had made the position far too black by (so he alleged) over-stating the amount which should be put down for depreciation. We can well recollect what the exMayor had to say on the situation, and his remarks on that occasion read strangely, it will be admitted, when compared with the position as it was treated by the new Mayor before yesterday’s meeting of the County Council. In brief, Mr Rettie said that the County was only getting metal “at a trifle below cost,” which h? considered “was not a serious amount” and upon the whole lie thought “they had not done so badly at all.” Taking the same return as Air Pettie bad bad before him. Air Kirk, however, showed that the real position was that whereas the County was only paying 8s per yard for metal landed in town, 6s 6d for metal put off at Niven’s, and 7s for metal delivered at Matawhero, the stone was actually costing the Borough at least 10s 9d per yard Ui town; 8s 6d at Niven’s, and 9s 3d at Matawhero! Under the circumstances it is, of course, net surprising that some weeks ago the “City Fathers” decided to increase the charges for metal and for Matawhero shingle to all consumers, excepting—and in this case it can only be done by arrangement—the County Council. T- at was the last occasion upon which v\ 3 dealt with the matter,- and we arc glad to see that the suggestion that we once again made, viz., that rhe Borough should approach the County with the object of having their rates also raised to a more reasonable figure, has at last been adopted. As far as the discussion which took place yesterday is concerned, the only other matter to which we would like to draw attention is a remark by Mr Ivirk, who in reply to a question said 'A>• t if the County should decide to cease to take any more of the metal it would not prejudice the Borough, as fhe Borough might continue to turn out the same quantify'as at present and use the lot themselves. Upon the sub - ject we might just say that we hope for the sake of the streets as well as for the sake cf the ratepayers, nothing so unwise will ever be carried -nto effect. The ratepayers, we feel, will join with us in trusting that in regir-I to this matter the Borough will be abb’ to make much better terms with the County than it was able to do in the case of the dispute over the payment of the cost of the Waimata bridge.