HARBOUR BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 193, 15 August 1936, Page 9

HARBOUR BRIDGE.

PETITION NOT SUPPORTED. PROPOSED NATIONAL WORK. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) •WHAXGAREI, this day. The Whangarei County Council yesterday declined to take any part in making representations for the qonj struction of a bridge across the Auckland Harbour. The council was invited to support a petition asking that the bridge be built as a national undertaking. "There is no doubt that the Government is inclined to undertake ex- . tensive -work rather than such matters as the building of the Kiripakf), Bridge," said the chairman, Mr. J. A. S. MaeKay, who moved that the council sign the petition, and that it be made available for others to sign. The construction of the bridge would be of great benefit to the North, he said. Mr. J. H. Hayward referred to the great waste of time caused by travellers having" to wait for ferries. ' "If the council signs the petition it expresses a desire to have the bridge constructed," said Mr. T. N. Blake, "and the time may come when a general request for financial assistance may be I made from those who have applied for the bridge. 1 am against committing, even morally, the ratepayers to a liability in the future." | Mr. J. Morrison thought that the I £1,000,000 or so which the bridge would cost could be better, expended on productive works. The chairman said that money was being expended on large Government undertakings in other parts, of the Dominion, with a view to placing the unemployed. If the people of the province did not take advantage of their opportunities they might be missed out. Although Northlanders were not directly interested to the extent that the people of the northern boroughs were, they realised that the construction of the bridge would be of value to the development of the district. ""Hie expenditure on loading south of Auckland is out of all proportion to the population and capital value of the Northland counties," said Mr. MaeKay*. The division being equal, the chairman gave his casting vote against the motion.