GENTLE ANNIE TRAMWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3112, 7 January 1911, Page 7

GENTLE ANNIE TRAMWAY.

THE MAYOR’S LATEST UTTERANCE. “A WHITE ELEPHANT.” Referring to the Gentle Annie tramway, Mr. Lysnar, at his meeting in. His Majesty’s Theatre last night, said he had been urged to leave it alone, as it was popular. The whole question remained with the people, and if he were to give way because it was popular, he would not be worthy to.be their Mayor. He had rightly predicted failures before, and never Ijefore had be seen anything that in the ratio of its cost was going to cost them more. The tram was going to lie a white elephant. Voices: Yes. No. Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said the Council hid proceeded under a misapprehension, and read extracts from the Council minutes to prove his contention that all debatable questions were to be left over, or settled before lie went. Since he left/his policy had gone to the wind, and if the Council went on as it was, it would not b© a £IO,OOO loan they would l want, but a much, larger loan than that. He regretted to say that things were not going as they should in the Borough, and there were many things in which they were not getting 2s value in the £l. He specificially referred to the failure to instal a screening plant at Kaitaratahi,’ and claimed that he had never advocated the placing of unscreened gravel on the roads cut of loan money. Mr. Paterson had been treated as a consulting engineer, not as a constructing engineer. A voice: How do you treat him? The Mayor: As an engineer. As he should be treated. I make my comments in writing, and give him an opportunity to reply to them. That’s what I do! 'J’he Voice: What will we do when you are dead. Laughter). The Mayor: You can come forward then, but I am not dead yet. Continuing, the Mayor detailed the items with which he disagreed in Mr. Paterson's report, as published in yesterday’s “Times.” He also said the Borough had only a five years' lease of the tram, and were right under the thumb of the Cook County Council. Within five years they would have a connection with Te Arai. where a quarry would be opened up. in connection with the railway to Napier, and on which work was going to bo started next week. If the County took the full quota and the Borough were left with 5000 yards, -they would have to add on 10s for every yard that came in, for maintenance, and if the Borough got the greater quantity then the added cost would l be 6s 9d. He also objected to Mr. Paterson for installing a 50yds crushing plant. A voice: Why don't you dross him down at the Council meeting not in public. Give the man a chance. (Applause). Mr. Lysnar: The matter is in your hands. Proceeding. Mr. Lysnar criticised the agreement with the Cook County Council, and said he was not going to quarrel with the people regarding the tram. Ho warned them .and asked them not to blame him if they found, in five years, that the line would have to pulled up. or become the property of the County Council. Referring to the expenditure on the tram, he said that they were playing the money-lenders false, in not spending the money ■ according to the schedule. A voice: How are yon going to get the metal down; by Straker waggons? (Laughter). Mr. Lysnar: That is a matter for experts. not so much for you and I. I believe that Mr. Merchant's scheme of traction engines is perhaps the best. At this stage there were several interjections. and something like disorder prevailed for a few moments.

WORK WANTED—NOT TALK. THE BOROUGH ENGINEER’S OPINION. “Look here, what we want to do i> to get to work, and not to talk," said the Borough Engineer yesterday, to a “Times” reporter, when the Mayor's criticism of his reply to His Worship, was submitted to him. “I never stated that the crushing plant could only turn out 2-50 yards per week." continued Mr. Paterson. ‘‘l estimated that amount as the probable quantity that would be required.” "If the Cook County wants the whole 7500 yards per annum, and the Borough 10,500 yards, they can have them," Continuing, the Engineer said that in his reply to the Mayor he had only attempted to clear up some departmental points which he thought might not have been quite clear, and in regard to the figures he had quoted of Straker wagon haulage, they had been taken from a period of working. “The whole question appears to he,” he said, in conclusion. "Can the crusher do the work during ordinary^working hours? 1 say emphatically. Yes. The overhauling of the plant may have to he done outside this time as is done in similar works elsewhere.”