THE CLUTHA BRIDGE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 34, 4 March 1875, Page 6

THE CLUTHA BRIDGE.

A public meeting of the ratepayers was held in Barr's Hall on the evening of Monday, to consider the action of the Municipal Council with regard to the responsibility proposed in reference to the taking over of the Clutha bridge. The attendance was good. The Mayor (Mr Robert Grigor) was voted to the chair. In intr« aueing the business the chairman said— At the last regular meeting of the Municipal Council, a resolution was passed affirming the desirability of taking over the bridge, together with the revenues accruing therefrom. You are no doubt well aware that tbe Corporation is called upon to maintain the main line of road, and we, as a Council, thought that it was only resonable that we should have the benefit of any revenue that may arise from the bridge, so as to assist us in maintaining that road. You are called togther to-night to say whether or not you approved of that step ; to say whether or not your local Council did right in its endeavors to secure that measure of assistance. Since the meeting was convened, in fact no further gone than this very night, a letter has been received from the Provincial Goverment in reply to one forwarded by the clerk to the municipality, stating thr.i the Government will not be prepared on any account whatever to hand over the bridge to the Corporation. In other words, that they will neither give us control of the bridge nor of the re\ c lues derivable thei e.rorn. So far tl en as the primary object for which you have been called together is concerned the me; ting lapses. 1 have no doubt in my own • mind but that if the bridge had been handed over as asked by the Council, within the next two years or so a very considerable amount of revenue would have been derived from it, and the township would have drived the advantage of that revenue. The traffic along the main line of road and across the bridge must during the next two years be greatly increased, and up to that time at least the town would have secured material advantage had the proposal been given effect to. I may likewise add, I have got great confidence in the continued prosperity of the place afterwards ; cons^quent'y I can have no doubt but that the control of the bridge would still continue to have been a benefit to the place. The township must go ahead ; of that I am quite satisfied, consequently the revenue to be derived from the traffic must continue to be great in proportion. The determination of the Government in the matter has of course ended, at all events for the present, any prospect we might have of securing these advantages. Mr Russell, the town clerk, is present, and will no w read for your information the document forwaded by the Government on the subject. Mr Russell then came forward and read the communication in question, as io lows : — Sir,— l bave been directeJ to acknowledge tbe receipt of your letter of the 18th inst., enclosing copy of resolution passed by the Town Council, Balclutha, on the 16th inst. In reply, lam to state that the Government cannot comply with the Council's request to have the custody of the bridge and the revenues arising f.om it. The suggestion as to the removal of the Court-house, &c, has been referredjfor the report of the Commissioner of Police.*— l am, &c, A. Willis, Under-Secretary. Mr T. T. Ritchie then propose 1 — " That the thanks of the meeting be conveyed to the Government for having refused to grant to the municipality this toy." (Applause.) Mr John Dunne expressed an opinion that, as citizens, it would be much more prudent on their part to treat the matter a little more seriously. He would move as an amendment — tl That an application be made to the Government at once to cause an inquiry to be instituted into the present state of the bridge, in consequence of certain rumors -having got afloat that it was insecure, and otherwise unsafe for public traffic." There could be no doubt, he said, but that a very large amount of money derivable from this source alone found its way into the Provincial Treasury at Dunedin; and 'they were all equally well aware that very little of it found its way back agafn into the district. He would therefore propose that a commission of inquiry, or at all events that the Government should be asked to appoint such a commission, with the view of getting the bridge examined and put into a proper state of repair. It was the property of the municipality, and he was strongly of opinion that as such it should be looked after by the town. Sinoe this subject had been mooted, they had had more inspectors looking after the bridge than he had ever known to be case during the whole time he had resided in the place. A lengthened discussion ensued as to whether or not s Mr Dunne's proposal could be accepted as an amendment on the motion. j The chairman said it was a great pity that such a motion as the one put forward had been moved. It would simply have the effect of stultifying the local Council. Mr Russell expressed an opinion that the motion and amendment were not antagonistic to each other. He could see no reason why, as a ratepayer, he should not support them both. If they denied tbe right of the Council to take

over the bridge and its revenues, that surely could not be urged as any reason why the state of the bridge should not be looked into and put in a proper state of repair, sufficient for the traffic passing and repassing it. Mr Dunne said that the action had been taken by the Municipal Council with the view of benefiting the town. Tn bringing forward the resolution in the. Council, he disclaimed everything like personal or selfish motives. His own interest lay in the town, and, as a citizen of the place, his interest was bound up with its progress and prosperity. Jf the citizens did not want to have control of the bridge, he foi? one ; had no personal motive in asking for it. Still he would maintain that the handing over of the bridge to the control of the municipality would operate as an advantage to every one within the municipality. (Applause.) In reply^ to a question put by Mr John Macdonald, the chairman said that in making amplication for control of the bridge the Council made no stipulation as to taking over responsibility for its maintenance. All that was asked for was the control and administration of its revenues. Th.3 chairman said that the motion as put forward was a dangerous one to pass. It was most discourteous to the Council. In effect it would be saying to the Government that this meeting was thankful to it for having refused to grant the application made by the Council in name of and as representing the ratepayers. If passed, it would be tantamount to a vote of want of confidence, and a request, to the Council to resign. Evidently the Executive Government had taken the view of the matter that the property was much too valuable to be given over to them. That fact of itself went to prove that the Council did perfectly right in making the attempt to get the control of the bridge* (Applause.) In a word, the very fact of this refusal goes to prove that the Council acted wisely in making the request. He (the speaker) continued to say that he knew it was somewhat out of order fur him to make these remarks on an occasion like that, still, as head of the Council, it was his duty to defend their actions when an attempt was being made to impugn these actions unjustly. Mr Ritchie said that he felt quite convinced that at least two-thirds of the meeting wouM endorse the opinion that in passing the resolution to take over the bridge the Council had acted wrongly. Mr Dunne — The reply received from the Government goes to prove the contrary. It shows that the Government looked upon the bridge as a valuable piece of property, much too valuable to be handed over to the Municipal Council. Eventually Mr Ritchie agreed to withdraw his motion, and on the amendment as proposed being put for- . ward as a substantive motion, he agreed to second it. Mr A. C. Campbell took exception to the substantive motion, on the ground that it was calculated to create unnecessary alarm. There was, he contended, no real ground for the assertion that the bridge was insecure and dangerous for heavy traffic. When the bridge was first opened he was present at a meeting, when the contractor stated that it was a good substantial structure, and would last from 20 to 25 years at least. Now, the facts were it had only been in existence for a period of seven years, and there could be no reason whatever for doubting its security. The chairman expressed a similar opinion. He thought that before passing such a resolution it would be well to ascertain what foundation there was for publishing the report that it was insecure. Mr A. Ross spoke in favor of the action taken by the Council, and gave it as his opinion that if the control of the bridge had been handed over as desired, it would have turned out to be for the benefit of the whole district. Mr Dunne said that, as the mover of the motion asking for control of the bridge, he would state that if the ratepayers had the slightest objection to the course he had pursued in the matter, he was perfeotly willing to place his resignation in their hands. What he had done was done with the best possible intention for the welfare of the town, and he had no personal motive to serve. He added : lam perfectly convinced still that the course I took was the right one ; and if you think otherwise, you have only to say so, a^d I will be quite ready to resign. lam perfectly willing to abide by your decision in the matter. (Applause.) The motion was then put and carried without dissent.