The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1910. THE TEST OF TIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2772, 30 March 1910, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1910. THE TEST OF TIME.

Before the municipal loans were submitted to the ratepayers the Mayor •(Mr. W. D. Lysnar) hurled masses of figures at the heads of the populace, together with an abundance of jeers concerning any who dared to challenge their accuracy. His first serious onslaught was contained in a statement prepared by the Town Clerk. In this •we were presented with a most attractive picture, and on the strength of it his Worship became .more intoxicated than ever with liis schemes, and boldly announced that Gisborne could -get its £175,000 worth of works and simultaneously have its rates reduced. There were several weak features in these calculations, to which we drew attention at the time. One of these concerned the rate of interest and sinking fund payable on the loan. In the Town Clerk’s statement they were quoted at •a total of 4 per cent., and the Mayor 'repeatedly used the same figure in his speeches. Our evening contemporary 'likewise fell into a similar, error. \\*e persistently refused to believe that the ’money could be obtained as easily as 'the Mayor said it could, and hazarded the opinion that the Borough 'would be exceedingly lucky if it obtained the money at 4,V per cent., and that, in all probability, the actual figTire would be nearer 5. For which heresies we were maligned with all the indignation the Mayor and his supporters could muster. His appeal to the ratepayers can be fairly summarised thus: —“Do not heed the “Times/ vote as I say; we will then get the •money and start right away.” There was to be not the slightest hitch in any respect; the boom was to start immediately. The metal for the roads was at Gentle Annie, and Sir -Joseph Ward had personally assured him the money would be available. This is over three months ago. The metal is still at Gentle Annie, and the 'money —well, it is anywhere but in Gisborne. The Government Advances 'Board has stated that £71,000 will be available, and we should not have long to wait for this, but this is very far short cf the full amount asked for. Yet we wait in vain for the Mayor’s protest over the Premier’s broken pro'mise. Before the polls it was treason to suggest that the alleged promise was ’merely “part of the campaign,” but we venture to say that few people in Gisborne to-day believe that Sir Joseph Ward ever gave the undertaking lie was supposed to have given. If he did now is the time for the Mayor cf Gisborne to recall it to his fading memory. Then, as to the interest and sinking fund, it now transpires on official information that instead of 4 per cent, the Borough will have to pay in interest and sinking fund £4 17s fid per cent, A\ e never opposed the main schemes for municipal works, but we did oppose the tyrannical method in which the various issues were submitted to the people, and we likewise protested against misrepresentation of the financial position. His Worship had a deal to sav before the poll concerning patriotism, but we submit that he acted in a most unpatriotic and unwarrantable manner In using his official position to make the ratepayers believe they would only have to pay 4 per cent, for their money, when a very little inquiry would 'have provided him with the facts. There were other aspects of the lean proposals that were adversely criticised in these columns, but in these as in the case of the interest and sinking fund charges we are quite content to leave, the verdict to the test of time.