BALCLUTHA BRIDGE.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 284, 7 February 1879, Page 6

BALCLUTHA BRIDGE.

•$ A deputation, consisting of R. Wilson, Esq. (R. Wilson and Co.), T. T. Ritchie, Esq. (Manager Colonial Investment Company), Alfred Jowitt, Esq. (Chairman of the Clutha County Council), W. A. Mosley, Esq. (member of the same Council), Robert Hogg, Esq. (Mayor of Balelutha), and Councillor F. S. Canning, waited upon the Hon. James Macandrew, in Dunedin, on Tuesday. Mr Wilson, addressing the Minister of Public Works, said : I have been asked to introduce this deputation from the Clutha County Council and the Balclutha Borough Council to you in reference to the reerection of the old Balclutha bridge, which is a very great want. The want of this bridge is not only felt locally ; it is a want that is felt all over the Colony. I think that the residents of Dunedin feel the want of the bridge just as much as the residents of Balclutha, for this reason : they cannot get stock over ; and since the bridge has been swept away the price' of meat has been very high, no doubt owing to the want of stock from the southern part of the Province. It would be well if the Government could see their way to erect the bridge to meet the heavy demands of the frame. Mr JoAvitt : It is a very serious business. A daily loss is going on, which is widely felt, and it will continue so long as there is no traffic bridge at Balclutha. . I have complaints made to me (as Chairman of the Clutha County Council) every day, | and we have come to you, sir, pretty confident that you will do you best to meet our wishes. I had the honour to write j to you on the 27th day of December last ! on this subject, but no answer has yet j come to hand. And I have written to the J Colonial Secretary, asking for the opinion | of the Attorney-General us to ,rhat bodies I can legally expend money on that bridge, j but I have not yet had my letter acknowledged. It was elated the 17th of January. We find that other bodies have applied for . large sums of money, and we have thereI fore taken action and come before yon. j I think it is unnecessary to go into minute particulars,, because you yourself have visited the place and can form your own opinion. However, the whole of the inhabitants of that district look upon this deputation to do their utmost to put this ! thing before yon as it ought to be. Mr Mosley : As one of the Clutha County Councillors, I arranged to accom- ! pai.y this deputation, and I can corroj borate what Mr Wilson has said with j regard to the price of meat in Dunediu. There is a good deal of fat stock south of Balclutha, and now the old bridge has been washed away it isalmost impossible to get these cattle to Dunedin without incurring enormous expense. This is more lof a Colonial question than a County question. We are anxious to obtain a • loan to put the bridge in sufficient repair, so that the commercial men of North and South Otago may be liberated from the j present unfortunate state of affairs as soon as possible. The Hon. J. Macandrew, addressing Mr Jowitt, said : I received your letter, and it was refered to the Engineer to make his report as to what sum would be required. He states that the sum of L9OOO is the sum required to re-erect this bridge, and the question is — What proportion of that sum can you find yourselves 1 What proportion of that do you expect to get from the Government 1 What amount could you repay in five years'? Mr Jowitt : We expect to get the whole amount from the Government, and we , expect that the County will be able to re- | pay you in five years. The Hon. J. Macandrew : The whole amount is not there to be got. Out of the L 50,000 voted, there is over L.120,000 applied for. I think the utmost we can find would not be more than half — if so much. lam not sure that there would be enough left even for that. We are tied down to certain conditions, but I think it possible that we may be able to contribute perhaps half of the amount. We might manage to screw LSOOO out of it. Mr Hogg : We had a conference of the Clutha County Council and the Bruce County Council, and the delegates from the Bruce Council decided that they would not contribute anything towards the reerection of the Balclutha bridge, unless they are legally bound to do so. The Clutha County Council and the Borough Council then agreed to draw up a case for the opinion of the Attorney-General. That is the matter referred to by Mr Jowitt. I believe that of the whole number of the works placed before you, there is none of such Colonial importance as this. It is not a local matter. No. It is a matter affecting the country from Dunedin southwards to Invercavgill. It affects the commercial interests both as regards squatters, settlers, and general business men. The •present railway traffic is not sufficient for the requirements of the district. The old bridge, when re-erected, will be a greatfeeder to the railway, and I hope the Government will see that this is really a Colonial matter, and not only a local . matter. The Hon. Mr Macandrew : The County of Southland applies for L 20,000 to make good damages to them which they r>lead as Colonial. Mr Canning respectfully asked that in considering the claims for the total amount of L 120,000, the Government should give preference to the most important and pressing works. The Hon. Mr Macandrew : What is the revenue of the Clutha County % Bjritt : About L4OOO a year. We low yet. [on. Mr Macandrew: Is there a antity of Crown Lands in the

Mr Mosley : A considerable quantity of i beautiful bush land. s The Hon. Mr Macandrew : There is no I doubt that the Gafclins River railway will ] put lots of money into your pocket. * Mr Hogg : A great deal of money. < The Hon. Mr Macandrew : Do you 1 think you could devote L2OOO a year for five years towards repayment if you got j the money 1 ■ ' Mr Mosley : Of course we look to the Bruce County Council to pay one half of it. The Hon. Mr Macandrew : Oh, yea ; but I am asking you yourselves. Mr Jowitt : I say, unhesitatingly, yea. Mr Mosley : Do you not think that the Bruce County Council should be liable for half the cost of erecting the bridge ? The Hon. Mr Macandrew : I cannot say, legally ; but morally, I think they are. Mr Mosley : According to the Act, the boundary of the two Counties is in the middle of the Chi tha -River. Mr Jowitt : The revenue from the bridge was about L6OO a year. It will be a reproductive work. I Mr Hogg :We have employed a thoI roughly qualified engineer to give an estimate of the cost of re-erecting the bridge. That is Mr Higginson. He gives L 9910 I as the estimate. The Hon. Mr Macandrew : That is about the same as Mr Blair's. If you decide to proceed with the erection of the bridge we could give you professional advice gratis. Well, 1 will just think it over, and see what we can do in the matter. I can see the necessity for the bridge as well as anybody, and it is a very great hardship to want it after having had it for so many years. I will let you know the result in the course of to-day or tomorrow. I Mr Jowitt : Some of the deputation are anxious to go away again to-day. Mr Mosley said he was to remain in Dunedin for a day or two. The Hon. Mr Macandrew : I will require to look into the other claims. Others consider that they have got as good a claim as their neighbours, and we must try to deal fairly with them all. I will promise to let you know to-morrow morning, Mr Mosley, as to the extent to which we can go in the matter. The deputation thanked the Hon. the Minister and withdrew. — Morning Herald.