BRIDGE AT LUGGATE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 2203, 11 July 1910, Page 4

BRIDGE AT LUGGATE.

ENGINEER TO REPORT ON SITE AND COST. A request from the Vincent County Counoil urging on the Government the necessity of a bridge over the Clutha river at Luggatc, having been forwarded to the Department, the member for the district, Mr W. Eraser, with his usual promptitude, communicated with the Minister in support of the claim, and received a satisfactory reply, as will be seen from the correspondence hereunder, which Mr Eraser kindly forwarded to us for publication : Mr Eraser wrote as follows : Wellington, Juue 2Uth, 1910. The llou. the Minister for Public Works, SIE, —A resolution of the Vincent Council relating to the erection of a bridge across tkc Clutha river at Luggate, having been forwarded to you, I have uow the honor to urge that a competent cugiucer may be sent as early

as possible to report on the best site for said bridge, and also to make an estimate of the probable cost of such bridge. The decision of the Government to not proceed, for the time being, with the completion of the Otago Central Railway to Hawea. renders the position of the settlers in the Hawea district almost hopeless owing io the present prohibitive cost of transporting their grain to Clyde Railway Station. The erection of the bridge in question will greatly lessen said cost of conveyance uf produce, which will then be drawn by traction engines. In the absence of a bridge this is impossible owing to climatic conditions, and until a thorough system of irrigation has been therein established the district affected is more suited for grain growing than dairying. Many of the wheat crops this year, and for many years past, have threshed (50 bushels to the acre, of a quality unsurpassed in (he Dominion, hence the urgent necessity of the bridge. Need I say more in favor of the engineer’s report being obtained as early as possible and the construction of the bridge proceeded with.— W. Flf ASK I!, M.P. The Minister repli ,*d : July Ist, 1910. W. Fraser, Esq., M.P, Dear Sir, — I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 29th ult, asking that the report of an engineer be obtained regarding tho proposed bridge across the Clutha river at Luggate and in reply to inform you that I have given instructions for an engineer to make a report as to the most suitable site for, and approximate cost of the work. The question of the provision of an amount fbr the bridge will receive consideration when the Public Works Estimates for the current year are being dealt with.— R. M'Kekzie, Minister for Public Works.