AN IMPORTANT WORK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 116, 17 April 1939, Page 9

AN IMPORTANT WORK

THE WHIROKIN'O TRESTLE. TRIBUTES AT LUNCHEON. Following the .opening of the AA’hirokino trestle bridge on Saturday, a luncheon was tendered to the Alinistcrial party and members of local bodies by the Alanawatu County Council, in tho supper room of the Foxtou Town Hull, Air AA'. E. Barber (chairman of the council, presiding. AA'ith him at the head of the table were: Hon. R. Semple (Alinister of Public AA’orks) and Airs Semple, Air J. AA'ood (Engineer-in-Chief of the Public AA’orks Department). Airs AA’. E. Barber, Airs G. R. Hunter (wife of Hon. G. R. limiter, AI.L.C.), Air A. Iv. Drew (Alanawatu County C'lerk), and others. A welcome was extended by Air Barber to all present. He apologised lor the absence of the Alinister of Internal Affairs (Hon. AA r . E. Parry).

After the honouring of the loyal toast, the next was that of “Parliament,” which was proposed by the Mayor of Palmerston North (Mr A. E. Mansford), who thanked the chairman and members of the Alanawatu County Council for the privilege that had been accorded him. Also congratulations were in order, lie said, to the Alinister and to the engineers who had brought the trestle bridge into being. I hey were honouring a tradition, Air Mansford added in referring to Parliament, in which the nation could fie justly proud. The Parliamentary system went back to 1854, when the country was controlled by an executive composed of no more than 42 and no less than 24 members : then later on there was a Parliament composed of 91 members, but parties came and went. The system was based on that of the Alother Country, and whatever tlie Government did was what was considered best for the country. The debates were on the highest plane, and were never marred by lack of dignity. each member showing respect tor the Speaker. AYe had the widest franchise in the world, and the representatives were preserving the best, traditions of the people, who deserved the Government they had and were responsible lor the Government’s action. Prominent writers had said that the democratic system had to go. hut it was still the best and enjoyed freedom. The work of Parliament had been well done, and that was the best that could he said of any assembly: the present Parliament was no exception to those that had gone before. Hi response, Die Minister of Public AA orks mn.de reference to the extreme necessity of preserving the democratic system (reported elsewhere in this issue), and he also thanked the members of the Mnnawatu County Council for their invitation to open the bridge GROAVTH OE TRANSPORT. The toast of “Public AA orks” was in the hands of Air T. L. Seddon (Aluyor ot I'eilding), who observed humorously that, being a lawyer, he was entitled to say something about a subject ot which he knew nothing. However, he thought that the bridge was an amazing tribute to the skill of man. It would l>e a great boon to road transport, and its importance to New Zealand would be realised when it wa.s considered that the Dominion was the second most highly motorised country in the world, the United States King first. In New Zealand we had enough motor vehicles to carry every man woman and child, and the value of good roads and bridges was inestimable in Lines of national emergency. There was no question whatever that better means of transport made for safety; the Joss of life on the roads was appalling. and nothing the Government could do would earn the gratitude of the public more than the reduction o: this huge toll, which good roads would help to achieve. Air AYood and his colleague had ambitious plans, and there was no denying the changes which they had wrought in the past few years. These had been facilitated by tho use of up-to-date labour-saving devices which had proved their worth. If we could afford the amenities safely, the Government could implement its policy of progress, which at the present ra.te would, before long, he the envv of less fortunate hut more developed countries. There was no doubt that the Government had pledged its faith for the people of New Zealand, and was building the country for posterity. FUNCTIONS OF DEPARTAI ENT. The AA'hirokino bridge was typical of the works the Public AA’orks Department was carrying out, said ALr AVood, in responding to the toast. A few years ago, he added, the country had not developed very greatly, and the department's function had been limited to a great extent by local bodies who had shown antipathy towards the sealing of roads. Structures such as tho new trestle bridge bad not only increased in number but in design, and tho roads had to be made much better in curvature and with a bettor view for the motorist with the advent of speedier vehicles. The provision of allweather routes was another matter which had taken place in recent years; the AA'hirokino Road was not the only on© in New Zealand which was subject to flooding; there were others, particularly in the Auckland province. The erection of the trestle at AA'hirokino marked the end of the danger of floods in this area. Referring to tlie modern design of the trestle bridge, Mr AA’ood declared that engineering, with other sciences—and it was a science—had advanced very rapidly in the past few years, particularly to keep pace with other thickly populated countries. Scientific methods of mixing concrete had made tlie hitter 50 per cent, stronger than it was a few years ago when thev had thought that a pressure of 20001 b to the square inch was wonderful; today. however, if the pressure was not AOC7DI b to the square inch, they would wonder what had gone wrong. He paid a tribute to the work of the contractors all over the country, who had always given of their best; their steel and concrete structures were always right up to specifications. A combination of tlie best engineering brains and tlie good work of the contractors had combined the pier and beam in bridges now, and they were so strong that if an earthquake came the pier would bend with the beam. The new structures were lighter and stronger than the others, and they were being build | at less cost tlinn in other years. I AIOTORTSTS’ APPRECIATION. On behalf of the Alanawatu Automobile Association, the president (Air AA'. 11. Brown) said it gave him great pleasure to propose tlie toast of the “Local Bodies,” and to thank them for what had been done in the district in the interests of tho motoring public. He assured the Alinister that no section of the public would be more gratified that the AA'hirokino bridge had been completed than the motorists, who would lie its main users. Prior to the Government taking over the Alain Highways the local bodies bad had a difficult time. He wa.s convinced that we had Lie best roads of New Zealand in tho Alanawatu district, and that was something to be thar.kfnl for. but there was a lot of work yet to l>e done in the Dominion.

Air A. Campbell (chairman of the Oi'oua County Council), with whose name were coupled those of the Alayor

of Foxton (Air AL F. Perrenu) and the Mayor of Levin (.Mi' I’. W. GoJd,smith), in replying, said that his county Jiad always attempted to do its host as far a.s the ratepayer was concerned. The legislation which had brought into being the Main Highways Hoard was one of the most magnificent moves made in New Zealand. In regard to the increased petrol tax. he thought that the time was opportune for a more liberal .allowance as lar as the counties were concerned. One of their other diflieulties was the burden of hospital rating, which was very old. unjust and incqiiitub'e. More than one-third of the counties’ total rates went to hospital boards and charitable aid .assistance. Mr Campbell gave Mr Semple his assurance that his council was right behind him in any stejw he took in regard to safety on the highways. A welcome to the town of Foxton was extended by Mr I’erreau, and Mr Goldsmith referred to the growth of Levin from the time when the first section had been sold, exactly 50 years ago in March. Within a. year of the sale of the first section a public school had been opened. A college was now being built. He congratulated Air Barber oil his great work, and also the Minister.