A BRIDGES LOAN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 113, 11 May 1909, Page 4

A BRIDGES LOAN.

The necessity to raise a loan of £1000 by special order has been forced upon the Borough Council owing to the award of the Commissioner as to the Borough's share of the cost of tho Wairau Bridge. It will be remembered that the Commissioner decided that the Borough should pay £690 towards the cost of this bridge, and at the last meeting of the Council a claim was made for a progress payment of £217 10s. The Council has no money in hand for the purpose of making this payment, or for paying its share of the Omaka bridge near Renwick, consequently it is necessary to raise'it by special order, a process that does not require a vote of the ratepayers. There is in hand a sum of £1800 odd, balance of the loan raiaed last year, but that is specially earmarked for certain objects, and cannot be diverted to any other purpose. Presumably the Upper High .Street bridge will be constructed from this fund, and it is hoped the Qouncil will take steps to compel neighbouring bodies to bear their share of the cost of this structure. The principle of calling upon outside bodies to assist in the public -works of a municipality is not a sound one, for under it Councillors and ratepayers never know how soon they may be called upon to contribute to works of which they know nothing. We might just as reasonably claim that the Spring Creek people should help to pay for the Alfred Street bridge, or even our Borough streets which they use whenever they visit Blenheim, as that we should pay; part of the cost of the Wairau bridge. But the charge is a legal one, though' bad in principle, and all that Blenheim ratepayers can now do is to insist upon getting their own back in respect tb^works which they undertake for the general good. And this can be done, by way of commence-

.' ment, with the High Street bridge i referred to, which is shortly to be rebuilt.