Paremata Bridge

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 272, 12 August 1932, Page 13

Paremata Bridge

Sir, —Flease allow me to repiy briefly to "Anti Waste,” and if "Anti Waste” is not a farmer with plenty of Tauhina on his place he must live at the Hutt. Instance the difference between railway fares from Upper Hutt and Plimmerton to Wellington. Upper Hutt to Wellington, 20 miles, 4/2 per week; Plimmerton to Wellington, 18 miles, 10/per Week. In one instance there is competition; in the other no competition. If “Anti Waste” thought fairly he would see that Plimmerton could do with a bridge, and then Plimmerton railway farQs could come down a little, and Upper Hutt go up a little. The fares mentioned above have been in force for years, but lately there has been a slight increase in each instance. “Live and let live” is fair, and no one is being asked to use the bridge if they prefer the road. Manawatu residents have already decided to use the bridge—; they prefer the extra one mile of sealea level road to the other dangerous road over the hill. Why help farmers who will not help themselves? The pulling of Tauhina should have been done by the farmers when times were prosperous. You have only got to look at the farm belonging to the Walker Estate and you will not find the Tauhina complained of. The reason is that when times were good the farm was kept elean and now times are hard the farm is clean, and there is no need to ask the Government, to put unemployed on to cut down Tauhina. In conclusion I would advise “Anti Waste” if he is desirous of keeping down rates and taxes to try and find some other pedal to press.—l am, etc., J. A. WALKER.

Plimmerton, August 9. Sir, —Surely “Anti-Waste” in his letter on the Paremata bridge is drawing the largest red herring he could find across the trail. He raises the question of finance —well, for the bridge the ratepayers are prepared to shoulder that burden, so that relieves the Government of any expense for the present, and the cost of the road is possible to be found out of the unemployment fund. “Anti-Waste” must remember that the motorists pay 1/- in the £1 for money they spend in running their cars, and also pay some £2O annually into the road fund. Now, how much does the farmer nay into the unemployment fund? He has no income, so pays no unemployment tax, 1/- in the £l. Does not “AntiWaste” consider the farmer is getting a good helping already out of the unemployment fund, and indeed he is suspected .of taking advantage of it (see board s opinion on 4A scheme). “Anti-Waste” doubts the number . of cars going to Plimmerton. Well, one tires of going to Day’s Bay every week for a run, and consequently it. is obvious that many Wellington motorists must go to Plimmerton., Your correspondent quote# the number of cars from Manawatu district. Well, now. is not that an argument for getting on with the Paekakariki road right away? He then sheds, a few tears of compassion for the motorists from the Wairarapa and the Hutt. Well, the charms of Plimmerton are evidently unsurpassable, and that being so, it deserves a better approach than it has at present. I should faney that if the motorists from the Wairarapa were seeking a rest cure at Plimmerton, they would avoid the dangerous narrow roads of the Moonshine and the Haywards routes, and come via Ngahauranga Gorge; so therefore they would need a Paremata bridge. “Anti-Waste” belabours the cost of collecting the tolls. WeU, at Aker’s private toll bridge the good wife has always taken my 2/6 and opened the gate for me. Probably her husband is away working all dav on a neighbouring farm. The railway will gain from the increase of popu lation in Plimmerton as a result of the Paremata bridge, and furthermore the railway will have the monopoly of the transport traffic over the bridge the same as it will have when the Waiaui-o-mata tunnel is built. We admit we are heavily taxed, but we want to see that the expenditure is evenly spent and spread over the whole of the country. Now what monev of any respectable size has been spent in the Plimmerton district out of the main highways fund or out of the public works fund? , “Anti-Waste” has only to see the results of gorse grubbing on the Towe Belt to realise the fallacy of wasting money in grubbing tauhina. etc., on the Plimmerton-Paremata hills. He will see the gorse springing up regularly every year as if it had never been grubbed, and the people even point out the waste ot money to visitors. Finally, “Anti-Waste point’s to the present Paekakariki road a> being safe. Well, what does, it cost to keep it safe, and what does it cost the motorists in petrol and brake-lining to use the road?—l am. etc., ILTT _ ANTI-HUMBUG. Wellington, August 10.