BALCLUTHA BRIDGE.

Evening Star, Issue 4968, 4 February 1879, Page 2

BALCLUTHA BRIDGE.

This morning a deputation of gentlemen representing the Clutha County Council and the Borough Council of Balclutha waited on the Hon. Mr Maeandrew with reference to the re-crection of the Balclutha Bridge. -The gentlemen present included the Mayor of Balclutha (Mr R. Hogg), Messrs Mosely, R. Wilson, and Canning. The deputation stated that they came to ask the Government for a loan, repayable in annual instalments extending over five years, to enable them to reconstruct the bridge destroyed by the late floods. The want of a bridge was greatly felt, not onlv locaily but throughout the Colony, the old bridg« hi ring; been the means of coKpiiinicatffm between ; the north and south of otag<\ and the main j artery of fraiffic for *h« Colony. The, residents of Dtmedin buffeted from the ■want of a. bridge almost as much as the residents m the Clntha dis-: tnefc. Stock could not be got across the river except at enormous expense, and meat was consequently far idgher in price in the Wnnedm market than it wmtlrl fee if the wwlgfi \rer« iwtowvli. A datty l»«a was ttrtnatty-'gA'iu.g wi, avid Uhc (U&Uh- was a- m-y eciWns i&e, **•«£ a<rt.t iu to ttie fc*j* bodies The<Jo*totthework had been estimated by • & competent engineer at L 9.900, and as the revenue of the district was L 4,000 per annum the deputation anticiVln n n ° dlfficu lty in J repaying a loan of LIO.OOOiu live years' -time. The que&f.on as to which of local bodies was liable for the work-f had arisen, and at a meeting of delegates from the Borough Council, the | iruce County Council, and tho Clutha (Jounty Council it was agreed to write to tin* 4 .ttoreey.General wid

obtain Mb opinion on the matter. This was done, but no reply had yet been received; nor had one been received to a letter forwarded to Mr-Macandrew himself. They admitted that the repairing of the bridge was most intimately connected with the two Counties of Clutha and Bruce, but still they considered that the question was "a Colonial one, .and they hoped that the Government would see their way to arrange in some, way for the reconstruction of the bridge. la reply to Mr Macaxdkew said that he was sony that the full amount asked for could not be granted, the fact being that while L 50.000 had been set apart to assist districts in various parts of the Colony affected by the floods, upwards of L 120.000 had been applied for. Consequently half of the LIO.OOO desired, at the utrno- ~ could be lent. That was his present mvnion, buthe would think over thennttei aadlet the deputation know to-morrow. He could however promise that ih tho event of the local bodies oommencii g the reconstruction of tho bridge the Government would save them considerable expense by giving them professional advice and assistance.