The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1913.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3430, 6 September 1913, Page 6

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1913.

As a sequel to one of a number of interesting ruTho Sequel to a Series mors that are of Rumors. afloat with reference to the position of affairs at Gentle Annie quarry the members of the Borough Council, it is worthy of mention, have been summoned to an important meeting at 8.30' o’clock this morning. What is to be considered at this meeting, which by the way is to be hold' iii camei a, has not been officially disclosed; but the-ratepayers will get a pretty fair idea of “what’s what” if we simply narrate a few facts which are now within the knowledge of “the man in the street.” It will be recalled, of course, that, at the meeting of the “City Fathers” on Tuesday evening, Cr Brown made some remarks with reference to the quarry which included a grave allegation against one or more persons who it was inferred must be persons in high authority so far as municipal affairs are concerned. Ho stated quite plainly that a report was going about town that a vein of blue stone similar to that found at Patutalii had been discovered in the Gentle Annie quarry. That, however, was not all. It was reported further, he went on to say, “that orders had been given not to develop it.” Now it will be agreed that if these reports were not foundationless there was disclosed a | state of affairs which could on no account bo considered satisfactory. As is well-known, a great deal of money has been expended on this as well as other municipal undertakings, and no information would bo more gladly received by the ratepayers than an announcement to the effect that reasonably good quality stone in large quantities had been found in the Gentle Annie quarry. We now come to the official reply which was given by the Mayor subsequently to Cr Brown. It may be remembered that it was stated by Mr Ivirk that he (the Mayor) had heard of the reported find of blue stone in the quarry for the first time that night. His answer to what would generally be considered an amazing suggestion—viz., “that instructions had been given not to develop it”— was, as one would have expected would be the case, “that if the find had been made they would have been only too pleased to make it known and develop it.” Now for our own part we may say that we do not know whether there is or is not any ground for the report, and consequently cannot pass any opinion on the point as to whether Cr Brown should or should not have been satisfied with the official reply which was given to him on the subject. What is, however, fairly common knowledge in addition to the fact'that an important meeting of the Borough Council has been called for this morning is that a number of borough officials have been notified that their attendance is also requested, and in this connection the names of Mr Rodgers, the quarry manager, Mr Darton, the road overseer, Mr Williamson, the retiring mechanical engineer, Mr Robinson, the town clerk, and others are mentioned. It is not, of course, known whether these officials are being called at the instance of Mr Kirk or Cr Brown, but there is good ground for saying that Cr Brown will endeavor to show that Mr Kirk should have been acquainted with some mportant information which his reply on the subject at the Council meeting indicated that he did not possess Under the circumstances, it is rather a pity, we think, that such a big question as the prospects in connection with the quarry should be taken in camera seeing that so far as the ratepayers are concerned so much depends on the ultimate success or failure of the present metal supply undertaking.