THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1903.

Grey River Argus, Volume 57, Issue 10520, 22 January 1903, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1903.

The way in which the Teremakau bridge difficulty was patched up a few days ago by the Premier is a mere temporary device. After its purpose is served the d.fficulty will still confront tho people of the Grey and Westlaud counties. It is a little unfer tunate that the bridgß should be ou the boundary liua of both counties. Th & interest of local bodies usually iimini-hes in proportion to the dist-.nce from the c ntre. Consequently neither ti.e people of Wesiland nor of the Grey feel very bef-nly over the bridge disaster. Of one thing we feel quite certuin : if an attempt were made to raise a loan for the pu> pose of uuilding a suitable and durable bridge, the loan being teeured on the rate , there is very little doubt that the people of boih counties would quietly ignore tho request and the position would become a sorb of insoluble problem. Thebricge is on a main line of road and must, be regarded as an arterial work, consequently a mattarof more interest to the Government than to local bodies whose liabilities are alreudj'as much as th<*y can well beat. The Government of the country must always bo looked to for k- eping the main lines of traffic open. Qur Government »re perfectly aware of their responsibilities in this respect, and they generally acb up to them when no excuse exists for evading them ; and wh imagine that ultimately the Go» vernraont will have to boldly face their responsibi ity in the case of the Teri'niakau bridge. At first, in dealing with the representations of the representatives of the counties interested, Mr Seddon implied, even if , he did not say so in set phrase, th>t they should s^tt c the (iifiiculiy amongst themselves, as it was no c©n-c-ra of the Government. But ulti maiely he >-eempd to modify his views a< the national character of the work I began to dawn on him. Wo are afraid i that the building of a p'Oper bridge to replace the one carried away is beyond the financial strength of the counties j interested. Mr Soddon spoke of j raising a canstructiou L>au at 3-£ per cent, to be repaid in 42 yea>s, in the same way as other county bridges had been constructed. But past experi-. erice of this method does not recommend it. It a wooden bridgo were built across the Teremakau, it would have been rotten and useless, perhaps disappeared altogether, before the c-pifcal would have been paid off. Then the north and south of the Teremakau would be in the anomalous position of repaying the cost of a structure that 110 longer existed. That is tha position the people of Brunnet' must shortly find themselves in over the Wallssnd bridge, a rather disastrous sorb cf finance. Tho Piemier can be very exacting in dealing with local bodies, and is sometimes even inclined to be j arbitrary ; but if he looks at this Teretnak-iu bridge business fairly and squarely he will find it very hircl to shield tho Go wrnmonfc from a natural and just responsibility in the matter. Abridge across the Teremakau is an indispensable link in the north and south road of tho West Coast, and therefore quite as much within the ordina-y responsibilities of Government as the ro^ for opening up the Sounds to land traffic, and for which a gang of men is sent clown every summer at the cost of the Government. As the bridge is at the limit of each county, I neither Greymouth nor Hokifcika f -els a particularly keen iuterest in the bridge 3 and the ratep-.yors in each would bo veiy loth to weigh themselves down with financial responsibilities by bridging the Teremakau : nnd serious us the want of that bridge would be to the Borough of Kumara, its burgesses could not be expected to construct the work. We are afraid that the Government) will have to look at the question tVotn a different point

of view and in a difieent nioodx to what Mr Seddon was disposed to regard it h fe-v days ago svhen viewing tue wreck' of a jgfcblio work, the desuueion of J^'hich was largely, if not wholly, dueSo an act of ibe Legislature in proclaiming liver a Hlu^e channel. The wofk proposed in the metntime is not expected to la t raoro than three years A'JVen if it will last that long. However, that will allo-v ample time for consideration on the part of the Government Besides, cuvumstawces may chau'ge in tnafc time and lots of things come to i ass that may not be for>een at present. But, we ventuse to say that ik% mora Government consider the question the clearer they will realise their responsibility and the less excuse for tiyiag to shirk it.