THE MAITAI BRIDGES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 23, 28 January 1898, Page 2

THE MAITAI BRIDGES.

A MEETIXG OF SUBSCRIBERS. SATISFACTORY PROGRESS OP THE SCHEME. A meeting of subscribers to the Maitai bridges Fund was held at the Council Chamber last evening, There wero present : The Mayor (in the clink), Messrs t oek, U, Allen, St. John, Jickell, G. Shiirlaud, junr., AX. Lightband, and F. G. (iibbs, Secretary of the .Bridges Fund Committee. Mr Gibbs reported that as the result of canvassing to date about £30 had been collected, and various promises represented an additional £35 Part of the town yet remained to be canvassed. The " Mikado " entertainment had yielded £14,. mul the surplus of £15 from the Jubilee Fund brought the total amount available up to £95, A considerable sum was looked for na the result of the forthcoming lecture by the Premier, and one-third of the proceeds of a iloral fete, to bo hold in the autumn, had been promised A concert would alao probably be held in aid of the scheme during the winter, and as the first bridge would be within the city boundary, a vote from the City Council might b expected. At a rough estimate he though 1 a total sum of £150 misht be relied upon. Air Cock thought if -my large portion of the town remained unennvassed, efforts should at onco bo made to complete this part of the work Mr Gibbs said that Brook street and the Port, and a part of the Wood had not boon canvassed. Partly because so many other sub. lists had beon in circulation tho canvassers appointed had beeen unable to spare tho time, but they were hopeful of boing able to got about the work shortly. Had tho districts mentioned boon worked at tho timo intended an additional £30 or £10 would possibly have beon collected, After some discussion it was decided to appoint other canvassers to assist those already told off, to complete tho canvassing of the town. The Mayor cousidcred the Secretary's report ou the financial prospects of the scheme was very encouraging, especially as some people had so persistently endeavoured to throw cold water on the project. He thought they would get about £30 from Mr Seddon's lecture, and he would do his best in the City Council to assist the Committee in building the first bridge. As a private citizon bo considered the Council should contribute £20 or £25. He thouolit ft point might be strained to provido n curb bridge, instead of a foot bridge. With the assistance from the County Council they should theu be able to make the road hotter available for vehicle trallic for a considerable distance. Mr Cock said that as yot the Maita> Valley had V,coa closed to ploasuro drives but ho lookod forward to the time when there would bo a good road for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians tip the Valley. Such a road would hai-o tho advantages of an absence of excessive dust, nndjihe pleasantaccompaniment of aclear and sparkjing stream. Those features would bo quite sufticiont to make the road I popular, They had mado an excellent start, and thero was no reason why the fund should not bo augmented from time to time. Mr Lightband's idea of organising a i'eto for tho day on ivhich the bridges wero open should not be lost sight of. Ho was quite sure that there wore many people who would assist if they know that thore was such n reasontiblo probability of a pleasant drive bein^ mado up the Valley us far as the bush" [f the Government could be prevailed iipon to assist tho scheme by— say a £ :or £ subsidy— tho fund could be sneedly brought up to i'3oo, and they might ;heii be able to oreet cart instead of foot jridges. They had the facilities for mak ng a road oheaply, and he believed they* vould yet see the day when it would be vondored why tho work was not put in land-years ago. Mr Jickell sajd tho Government had aleady shown n disposition to aesist in poning up the Valley. A vote of ,£2OO lad already been expended, and an addiional £100 had also been granted. They night reasonably expect to get a £ for £ :vant for the bridges. He said the second ord wouli not require a cart bridge and e mentioned what had been done" to im rove the upper part of tho road; k On tho motion of Sir Gibbs, a dehputa 1

tion consisting of the Mayor, Messrs Cook, Lightband, and the mover, were appointed to wait onthe Premier on his forthcoming visit with reference to a Government Bubsidy., Mr Gibbs explained the proposals made by the "Waimea County Council. This body had offered to make a deviation of the road, which would .obviate the necessity of bridging the two worst of the five fords, provided that thoy recoived twofifths of the amount subscribed for the construction of the bridges. The bridging of the two fords would probably cost as much as would be required for the other three fords, and a road was always preferablo to bridges. The Committee considored the proposal very reasonable, and liad decided to recommend fche subscribers to agree to it. ;if the subscribers gave their sanction the County Council proposed to first make a bridle track along th». deviation, and within the noxt 18 months (o widen the track into a cart road. The Council might also be asked to put a plank bridge across Sharlan s creek at a cost of £2. Mr Cock wished to know whether any estimate had been made of the cost of the bridges. He thought the public might bo more kindly disposed towards the schemo if thoy know exactly what was to be done. Mr „Gibbs said ho believed from tho conversations he had had with practical men that at least .£3O would be required for oach footbridge. If the fund reached £150, that would only allow three footbridges, after giving two-fifths to the County Council. Sir Cock asked Mr Jickell whether he could givo any idea of the cost of light cart bridges placed above flood-mark. It was just possible that with a£ fori grant from tho Government they might be able to erect three cart bridges. Mr Jickell thought a cart bridge across the first ford ivouldjcost more than 4100. lf, however, footbridges were erected, they should be like tho Trafal-gar-street foot-bridge, built on the principle of the rifle range bridge, fchafc they might bo easily converted into cart bridges as required. A single pile foot bridge should not cost more than .£3O. It was resolved on tho motion of Mr Cock, seconded by Mr Jickell, to authorise the Committee to hand over to the County Connoil two-fifths of the amount raised for expenditure on the work in the way proposed. It was also decided that the Secretary should write to the City Council, asking it to contribute to the cost of bridging fche first ford. An offer from Mr Lightband to drive the canvassers round tho town was thank fully received. In the course of a great deal of conversational discussion, the general opinion . expressed was that the prospects of the scheme being carried to a successful issue were very satisfactory, and it was in i this hopeful spirit that thc meeting teri minuted.