OPENING OF WHATAWHATA BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6062, 22 April 1881, Page 6

OPENING OF WHATAWHATA BRIDGE.

[FROM OtTR OWS CORRESPONDENT.] Hamilton, Thursday. The formal opening of the new bridge over tlie Waipa aud Whatawhata. was celebrated with great eclat yesterday. Representative men from from all parts of the Waipa district were present, and also several from Auckland. The steamer Delta left Cambridge ■with only two passengers, but Hamilton aud Kgaru-.iwa.liia made up a full complement, and the Hamilton band, which came on board at that place, contributed largely to the general effect and enjoyment throughout the day. The steamer was late in arriving—half-past two o'clock—but in a very few minutes after her passengers were landed the baud, to the number of twenty, formed and marched to a lively tune across the bridge to the Waipa side, followed by a large number of settlers and their families. They then returned to the centre of the bridge, where Mr. F. A. Whitaker, the member for Waipa, mounting the handrail, addressed them. It afforded him the greatest pleasure to assist in opening this useful and important work, the construction of which they were assembled to commemorate. It was roads and bridges that would make a young country become great and wealthy; but where these were wanting, where communication was cut oti', the people must, necessarily, continue poor and struggling. Such works as that on which they now stood were necessary to keep alive the civilisation which was their pride, but he was still more glad to preside on this occasion where the improvement was to a district whose interests he was bound to watch over. Millions of debt had been incurred in the establishment of a railway system. But it was clear that every district could not have a railway to its doors, and it was only fair, therefore, that the best possible means of communication with these railways should be afforded in the shapo of roads, which in turn would act as feeders to the railways themselves, and thus ensure the success of the scheme. Unless the country could be brought; to the towns, both must languish. There had been too much neglect of country districts. The old system which had prevailed underlocalprovincial centres, of enriching the towns at the expense of the country, was being pursued even now. It was not fair to give rich suburbs £1 for £1, and leave the country districts to struggle the best way they could, in the cold. Unless the lands of the colony were developed the county could not stagger under its load of debt. He knew of no districts which had had less done for them than those of Raglan and the Waipa, though amongst the earliest settled. The Government of the colony waa now altering its policy and recognising their claims, and as far as his individual efforts could go, his hearers might depend upon it he would lose no opportunity of stimulating them in this new course of section. There was one more matter he would mention in connection with the opening of the bridse. There wa3 now, with two exceptions, a practicable road from Raglan on the West, to the Thames on the East Coast. One of these spots was between Whatawhata and Hamilton, and the Government proposed to at once give the money to make good that portion ; the other was at the Kumate, Tukokino's place. If the latter were undertaken, Raglan would be only a two days' drive from Grahamstown. Mr. Whitaker concluded by asking Miss Day, the daughter of the Chairman of the Newcastle Highway District, to declare the bridge open. Miss Day then broke the customary bottle of champagne, which was suspended on one of the trusses, and said, "I now declare the Hamilton bridge open for traffic." The Mayor of Hamilton- called for three cheers for Miss Day, which were heartily given. The band struck up the National Anthem, and the crowd marched into the township to Mr. KellowY hospitable hostelry, where an excellent cold dinner . was awaiting them in a marquee adjoining the hotel. The dinner reflected great credit on Mr. Kellow, not only for the excellence of the viands, but of the wines also. The chair was taken by Mr. Duncan, Chairman of the County Council of Raglan, and the Vicechair by Mx , . Day, and nearly 70 gentlemen sat down to the tables. After the usual loyal toasts had been drunk, Mr. Knox, Mayor of Hamilton, proposed '' The House of Representatives,'' sayingi (that body were composed of men such as their now two members Whyte and Whitaker —it would be a credit to the colony and worth the confidence of the constituencies. In the absence of Mr. Whyte, who was compelled by illness to retire soon after the luncheon commenced, Mr. Whitaker returned thanks for himself and his coadjutor. Mr. Hadfield then gave "The Ministry," coupled with the name of Mr. Whitaker. Mr. T. B. Hill gave "Thetwo Counties, and the prosperity of the district," saying that ou the establishment of roads and bridges depended the success of the country districts. It was useless to grow crops if they - had no means of takingthemto market. He had come over from Raglan in a four-wheeled conveyance with, eight people in it, and now, when a mile and a-lialf of road between Whatawhata and Hamilton was completed, they could drive such acoiiveyauce from Rag - I lan to the railway-station, fie would urge upon the authorities, however, the necessity of spending a few pounds at once on certain much-needed repairs between Whatawhata and Raglan, which, if neglected, would lead to large expenditure after the winter. Mr. Duncan returned thanks, and Mr. E. G. McMINK apologised for Mr. Aubin's unavoidable abseuce. Mr. McMinn then proposed the "Agricultural Interests," which was responded to by Mr. Day, and "the Commercial Interests, ' which had a responder in Mr. Aβ* BOTT, of Auckland. The toasts of the " Contractors," the " Visitors, "the "Host, "were then hurried through as the steamer Delta had to leave at 5 p.m., the band struck up " God Save the Queen," and in less than a quarter of an hour the majority of the visitors were en route for Ngaruawahia and Hamilton, The Waipa River is very low, and the steamer struck one snag very heavily going up, so that it was desirable to get down to Ngaruawahia before dark. Here she was detained for an hour taking in coal and cargo, and reached Hamilton by 11.30. Great credit is due to the attention paid to the comfort of all on board by Captain Cellen aud his civil and obliging steward, Mr. SutelifFe, whose attentions to the creature comforts of those on board always render these water excursions agreeable and comfortable, however tedious at times, During the time that the dinner waa going on, a gentleman, who had just ridden in from Hamilton, brought Mr. Whitaker a telegram stating that the £650 promised by the Government for the completion of the road betwoon Whatawhata and Hamilton had been paid to the credit of the Hamilton Highway District Board at the Bank of New Zealand in Hamilton. The bridge, which is a very strong one, a far better structure than the larger ono at Hamilton, is 520 feet in length, consisting of two main SO feet spans in the centre of the stream, and seven 40 feet and four 20 feet spans. The approaches too are well built, the sides sodded, and the surface metalled, and the whole work reflects most creditably on the contractor, Mr. McLean, and the inspecting engineer, Mr. Andrew

¥?£?A The total cost of *^< 5 bridge has been £3700. Yesterday it was profusely decorated from end to end with fern troea and evergreens, with arches of flags at either end, and at the Whatawhata approach with the motto, in _ large letters—"Prosperity in Union."