A proposition to secure the report of an engineer upon tho loan proposals before submitting them to the ratepayers was discussed "by the Borough Council last

evening,

The matter was opened by the recoipt of petition, presented by Or Hurtling, from itwoen forty unr] fifty of the leading isiness people, referring to the loan pro ibiils sanctioned by the Council to borrow iq sum of £50,000 for (1) supplying water the borough ; ('2) fotming and metalling is streets ; (3) a drainage system for the irnugh. The petitioners viewed with .tisfaetion that the Council had taken ito consideration these important qiies ojis, and were strongly of opinion that if schema of suflioient and permanent Jiiefit, within the resources of the ratc lyers, could be formulated the health and rosperity of the town would bo greatly enefiled. They thought, however, that implcto information should bo furnished to le ratepayers before their vote was taken, nti they therefore respectfully suggested iiat some experienced engineer of colonial sputation should bo invited to confer nth tho Council, and thereafter furnish a nil report, accompanied with plans, levels, nd esttmation of cost, and annual cost f maintenance and working, with ull ecessary data, to enable the works pro losed to be undertaken being brought to a uccessful completion. This information i r ould manifestly be required to be ibtained before the works were under aken, and they thought that the proper ime to obtain it was before the poll via taken, as a scheme for spending 250,000 in GisborDO improvements was if too much importance to be entered nto without the best professional idvice, bath as to results and cost. !t -would be unfortunate to discover ifter the formalities of a poll had been :arried through that the amount authorised ,vas insufficient to complete the desired vorks. They commended their sugges ,ious to tho Council's careful consideration. Che petition was signed by the following : -T. Steele, V. A. JPyke, F. J. Shelton, Jone3 and Slack, J. VV. Bright, W. Sieve .vright, A. F. Kennedy, A. T. Hookey, Adairßros,, Wyllie and Mason, F. S. Des Barres, Bennett, and Sherratt, G- A. DeLaulour, L. T. Symes, W. D. Lysnar, A.. B. Muir, E. Williams, 6. Matthewson, I. Coleman, W. H. Tucker, W. Morgan, VV. A. O'Meara, VV. Pettie, P. T. Morgan, K. Williams and Co., Arthur Pdrnell and Do., F. Parker, J. \V. 