WAIRAU BRIDGE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 14

WAIRAU BRIDGE.

; ; DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS 1 A FAVOURABLE REPLY. A deputation, consisting of delegates from nearly ; oil the... local -bodies of, Marlborough, waited on the'. Minister-for- Public;: Works(the Hon. R. M'Kenzie) yesterday,.to.' ask for: a subsidy towards,' the, cost of ;co'nstr,uction of a bridge over the- Wairau.' River' between .Blenheim. and Haveiock. ,v' '' ' ■ . . ' . Mr. J. Duncan, MJ?.,, who introduced th'e deputation, said; that the local bodies in Marl:, borough were . mainly road boards. Their /subsidies had' gradually/decreased ,to,,a.vety small amount,,:a£d-their rlinances were at a very low ebb. The 'Pel6rus''and 'Awatere Road Boards, received, only:'isuificibnfc.sujosidy,;.to pay. the Hospital' rates.v ' was brought ' before 1 the; ; :Mihister : in' ; ; jLt!irlboroußh, he' local bodies—(The VMMsteir.sim ■ who had' "to \cross ■ the.'!river,'; rather)4arid:<;,hohad allowed 'the .Department's '• engineers'-'-to?. make' ; surveys. andprepare plans ■ and , estimates ■ot the : bridge.;:He had ,a\so- stated. that' if the matter. was broiight'tbefofe him" asja.'.business proposition, he ''would favourably ' consider" it. : 'Mr.lC. ; .Nees,' : .'chairman of .the' Pelorus Road. Board, said 'the business proposition which the 'deputation, mode was',that-' the local ''bodies should pay half v ,the. cost - of' the bridge, and receive a £ for, £ subsidy, .from the ment.;'Mr.iiTjy. Hodgson^(Pelorus Road Board) said that there was .a ;large amount\of..'Crown; land held Von lease in the-, district, . and-somo land that gvas not., rateable.The .value, :of this 'Crown landf'iwoujd be-considerably.increased if :,the bridge was built, the value of' settlers'■ : sheep would be: 1 incroased by from sixpence'jto a shilling a head, i'.'X'he proposal to" put a-toll oil the bridge seoincd to be'favourably. fentertained by- the'local bodies, and 'h<s would;,like .to know what .concessions) to Gov? ernment traffic: would-be expected if that were done.. . The Minister explained that the coachdriver, but not; passengers, .and all Government ! officers pass .'toll" frefiV. He doubted"'if the',Government would permit a toll ,'if they gave a. subsidy. The . Government could construct , the bridge, .and; charge, locill. bodies half the: cost, hnt :it would' be better'"for them to; constactyt. themselves, '.-They would , have to apply Commission to'apportion the cost. ■ The Hon. F. ■ Trask (NelsonV and Mr. J. Barry (Omaka ; Road Board) supported the r&qUCSt. . - ', .... . Mr. E. 11. Penny (Deputy-Mayor of Blenheim) said .he had often made a detour of half &'dozen miles rather than cross, the river.'-The want of bridges was, a great. obstacle to the tonnst traffic. !' ' 'i.'- • ■ .' t Mayor of Picton, said •that the request had the sympathy of all parts of Marlborough, as well' as ojitside districts. Mr.G. Borpce (Wairau Road Board), .Mr.' P. Meehan (Awatere Road Board), and Mr.' T. D. Taylor' (Havelock Town Board) supported the application. .'Mr. Taylor said that to his district the bridge would make all the' difference between, progress and stagnation. Mr. R. Oris- , pin (Pelonis . Road. Board) • and Sir. Parkes i (Blenheim Borough Coiuicil) also spoke, Air. i Parkes stating that quite fifty lives had been lost, in crossing, the river.. The Minister, in replying, said that none i who/knew . the locality could deny that the ! bridge .'was .a most. necessary one. The Wairau was the'most dangerous river in the South Island, and probably in New Zealand. He recognised _ that the people of ,the Dominion should asdst in building such a large bridge on a main road. Whether the Government could .assist this year.: or not he was not in a position to eay at present, but ho would recommend. the Government to pay.'a £ for £ subsidy/on the cost of construction. He advised them; to/interview the Minister for Finance and arrange their loan for the work immediately. The Department estimated the cost ,'of construction/at .£13,000.' 'The Government '.ought' to 'assist on account'.of the development of Crown lands that would result. It would not bo necessary, to put more than. on the Estimates this year.. Mr., Duncan ' said the deputation had tried to, interview: the Minister for Finance,' and had, been : advised that: Mr. M'Kenzie would put their requirements before Sir Joseph Ward., The Minister: said' he would be quite" "willing' to do that. '