CORRESPONDENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3402, 18 December 1911, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LOAN, PROPOSALS. LTO, ®HH pEDITQ».J Sir, —I am surprised that the'loan proposals submitted by His Worship the Mayor has not raised a storm of protest. I think it will be generally admitted that the great fault- of 1 Mr. Lysnar’o administration was his disregard for professional advice, obtained often atgreat cost to the ratepayers. Now, sir, 1 was present when Mr. Pott-ie was elected to the chair, and I distinctly remember him saying that liis policy would be to see* that engineering probe submitted to engineers, and their findings to be strictly adhered to. These are not the Mayor’s words, perhaps, but I think his meaning was clear; he was accounting for the muddle into which municipal undertakings had fallen. The Mayor’s speech at that meeting went to show that in liis opinion at least the muddle was due to an undue regard to the advice of laymen as against- professional men. Now, sir, the question I want to ask: Ls not the Mayor setting himself against Mr. Metcalfe in not asking the ratepayers to raise the full sum of money that Mr. Metcalfe showed to be- necessary to satisfactorily complete all the works contained iii the first proposals submitted to the ratepayers, together with the additions ho considered needed effecting to make it a comprehensive scheme? Do you not consider, Mr. Editor, that the ratepayers are being compel led' to vote on the proposals of a, layman and not on the findings of a professional man who the ratepayers paid for the purpose of obtaining expert advice? Now the bulk of our troubles have arisen, according to Mr- Pet-tie, from the intrusion of laymen, and I think most of us will agree with His Worship on that point, and vote against his proposals accordingly. Or perhaps the Mayor will lie persuaded to submit all the works that are mentioned in the consulting engineer s report, for which it is really necessary to raise a loan, allowing the ratepayers to vote on each separately. The only responsibility devolving on the Mayor seems to me to be that he should sub-mit-the full proposals as recommended by the engineer, and not take the responsibility of adding to or deducting from a- proposal that the ratepayers have ov rv right to demand be put before thorn in their entirety. This s-eems to be, or might easily be termed, the unwarrantable intrusion of a layman into the department- of the expert. I hope in conclusion, sir, that the ratepayers will not allow themselves to be hurried in this matter. There is ample time to submit the proposals after the holidays. T would like very niueh to see an influential deputation wait upon the Mayor with this object in view- If, sir, no abler pen than mine takes this important matter up, I would like with your permission to advance a few reasons for rejecting the Mayor’s proposals in Tuesday’s issue of the “Gisborne Times," because of its importance to suburban ratepayers.—l am -’ ° tC ‘ ) G. BARTLETT.