SUBSIDY TOO HIGH

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 93, 14 January 1929, Page 6

SUBSIDY TOO HIGH

HIGHWAYS COUNCIL AND BULLS BRIDGE '*<

Palmerston North, January 12. When the Manawatu County Council received a letter from the District Highways Council at last night’s meeting, refusing to pay a £4 for £1 subsidy for the new Bulls bridge, a resolution of dissatisfaction with the attitude of the Highways Council was passed. The Manawatu and Rangitikei County Councils had suggested that a subsidy of £4 for £1 be paid on the cost of the new Bulls bridge, provided that the Highways Board in addition took over 80 per cent, of the loans raised by the county councils for the present bridge for the remainder of the term of such loans.

The Rangitikei County Council notified that a seven days' tally of traffic over the bridge had revealed that 4652 cars and 1855 other traffic had made use of the structure—total 6507. This was nearly double the tally taken in June last and the difference between the two tallies could be accounted for by traffic from outside the two counties. Mr. W. E. Barber (chairman) commented that after the quotation of these figures, the board should build the bridge without any counties’ contribution.