SCRAPPING THE TRAMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17157, 6 October 1926, Page 6

SCRAPPING THE TRAMS

GIVING INFORMATION DISCUSSION AT COUNCIL The question as to whether mem-, bers of the Gisborne Borough Council should offer to give evidence to Die Commission which is now collecting evidence, was discussed last evening, the Mayor contending that councillors should keep away unless the Commission desired them to give evidence. The Mayor said that he had met the Commission and had told them that all documents would be available for their inspection. He suggested that both sides should leave the question to the members of the Commission and not try and influence them in any way. He thought that both the Mayor and the members of the Council should refrain from seeing the members of the Commission. WANTED TO ASSIST Cr. T. Todd said that he certainly intended to at least offer .them an explanation of the figures. He had spent five years in studying the problem and felt that he could assist them. Cr. D. W. Coleman said that the members of the Commission needed neither the assistance of Cr. Todd nor himself. He hoped that the councillors would stay' away from the officers. If the mgn were allowed to investigate for themselves their report would be satisfactory to everyone. If councillors kept butting in the public would say that the councillors had influenced the position. Cr. H. E. Maude said that the members of the Commission would be very ill-advised if they did not ask for information from the councillors. - It was the duty of the Commission to find a just solution of the problem and it had to be remembered that the Commission was the result of a motion brought forward by those who favored the scrapping of the trams. He thought they should all endeavor to assist the Commission. Cr. C. E. Bickford thought that the Mayor would have difficulty in stopping the councillors. There, were plenty of outsiders who might know - more than Cr. Todd, and they should have the right to go to the Commission if they wanted to. All the reports were ’ available to the Commission. j Cr. T. E. Toneycliffe said he could ! not agree with the Mayor’s view. No ! expert could put his hand on all the i facts right away, for it would want a | wizard to get to the bottom of it. I The Commission could quickly decide I which side had the facts, and he did ; not think any councillor who desired I to give information should be stop pod. Cr. Coleman said that if the Commission wanted to question a councillor I then he thought the councillor should ! go along. j ' The matter then dropped. | A DEPARTMENTAL INQUIRY I NO EVIDENCE REQUIRED \ ! The Public Works Department officials will conduct their inqhiry on the tramwavs system within the tramways department of the Borough Council, and will not require to hear any evidence from members of the council or the general public. When the question as to whether eouneilors or private citizens would have an opportunity of laying their views before the Commission was referred to him today, Mr. A. J. Baker, Pqblic Works engineer, stated that there would be no necessity for that. The investigation would be in the nature of a private examination of the plant and accounts, and the information available within the tramways department would be sufficient '' to enable them to form their conclusions. The Commission is expected to complete its investigation within a couple of days.