The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1913.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3826, 8 May 1913, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 8, 1913.

The Biggest of Many Problems.

There can bo no doubt but that tho portion of Mr. Kirk’s remarks at yesterday’s function which will attract most attention will bo that relating to tho great and over-present problem arising from the sad state of practically every street in the Borough. As the now Mayor truly remarked: “The roads are in a bad condition and winter ijj upon us,” and he. was quite right when ho also declared that work should be pushed on with the view to making improvements as rapidly as possible. What Mr Kirk proposes, it will be seen, it that the members of the new Council, together with himself and the Borough Engineer,- should make a tour of inspection so that they may obtain an accurate knowledge of tho state of the roads, it may, of course, bo said that such an inspection ought to ho quite unnecessary—that. if any councillor is not familiar with tho state of any particular street lie surely must have heard all about it by this time! But Mr Kirk, it is pleasing to mention, ms more in view than a more official sxamination of the appearance of each md every street within the limits of he'borough. His -suggestion in this egard, the ratepayers will note, is iinilar to one which >vo mado without ivail time upon time to the late adninistrhtion. It is,-in effect, that the nombers of tho Council shall in this > r av acquaint themselves not only with he amount of money that'has been xpended on the different roads, but Iso with the nature of the work done

and tho character of the material usod. What is moro, the “City Fathers” wi.l also in this way become acquainted with the value of all such expenditure in respect of each and every road. In addition, Mr Kirk very wisely suggests that he and his colleagues should at an early date visit tho Gentle Annie quarry and tho Matawhero and Kaiteratahi shinglo pits with a view to investigating for themselves tho condition- of affairs at the sources from which the Borough’s supply of road materials is being drawn. If the “City Fathers” take time ever this task and insist upon having before thCra the necessary data, we fool sure that tho results of their inquiries will bo very valuable alike to themselves and to tho burgesses. As Mr Kirk further truly says, the sequel to such an investigation must necessarily bo that “much possible misconception will thus bo avoided.” In this regard it seems to us that Mr Kirk would benefit quite as much as, say, any of the new councillors from the proposed visit of inspection. Had the investigations been already made wo are quite certain, for instance, that he would never have hesitated before he suggested getting in further large quantities of “stone” from Gentle Annie for maintenance work. The most remarkable part of this suggestion is of course the fact that in an earlier statement ho quite frankly says that “Gentle Annie metal must be covered.” Surely he does not suggest thtit it is possible to “cover” tho nyital when it is used for tho purposes of making the roads “as passable as possible?” By this time we should have hoped Mr Kirk would have been convinced by ocular demonstrations that much of tho “stone” from Gentle Annie is absolutely useless for tho purpose of mending holes in the roads. Then again the new Mayor make another amusing slip when he states in one sentence that “little or no tarring or asphalting can now be gone on with,” and yet in the next breath suggests that in addition to much attention being devoted to maintenance “permanent work must be pushed forward with discretion and as 'rapidly as possible!” Truly “many misconceptions would bo avoided” if tho investigation which Mr Kirk proposed is thoroughly carried out. As to the new Mayor’s suggestion that surfacemen should ho placed in charge of special areas, wo prefer not to make any comment until tho proposal assumes. more definite form seeing that such a scheme would break down unless regular supplies of material could lie guaranteed. We must, however, congratulate Mr Kirk upon having promised that instructions will be given to tho effect that wherever possible crossings from footpaths shall be provided during the winter. It will be wit it great interest, we can assure the new Mayor, that we will await the results of the excellent kind of investigation which he has proposed shall take place.