THE MANGERE BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14275, 21 January 1910, Page 7

THE MANGERE BRIDGE.

Sir,—Mr. J. S. Montgomerie (for the* ' second time) in jour issue of Tuesday wort ;.•*ss unfairly insinuated my incompetence to t'eal ; : a Vi* with the above question. "He' does so again by mere innuendo, in' general terms, without % ' v* advancing a single fact or circumstanec ia i* support of his disparaging opinions of'• rue. This contemptible stylo of argument is only ! adopted by those who wish to hurt", and . ■;/ JfA annoy, by gratuitous insult, and who have : ,V;;/y nothing to back it up with. This is ,a V'M sample: " This is not Mr. Taylor's first >; '%0 vnnture as an amateur engineer in Mangere, and the results of his previous undertakings were not such as to increase the Board's con- ,'T fidenco in him." I contend, sir, that such : V language, without a singlo fact in support of ?./;•' • r. ; this untruthful statement, will meet with the '• v 4 condemnation of all who read it, who have any sense of justice. Besides this, it is , " exactly the opposite of what Mr. Montgomerie has caitl of mc, both at our annual . ,: meetings and on other occasions. The last

'important' work I did for our district as its ' chairman was to superintend and assist in, the building of the Oruarangi .bridge over. a - tidal crcck, on tho Manukau Harbour, some four miles beyond where I live, and which \ enables Mr. Montgomerie and his close neighbours to savo a distance ol! one mile . and a-half for some of them, and three miles / v and a-half for others of them, in a journey ; - towards Auckland and back from where : - they live. It was at their request that .I \ initiated this work, and assisted the sur- ; veyor from the start; 1 then took it up with such enthusiasm that I devoted more than six months of my time to it every day, with ' ;v. few exceptions; ; driving the men four miles " , -t in my buggy to the spot, and remaining with them to assist ' and direct all the- day, and then driving them back. When, it was opened on June 3, 1905, I was presented with an. illuminated address on Che spot by the - late Mr. Kirkbride, M.H.R., on. behalf ol .., ,V : the contributors to the cost ot the work; Mr. ' Montgomerie being one of the chief promotors' of this testimonial,, and one of m ; signatories. - As I &idly need the best de- - fence I can make against the general sneers , and insinuations of your' correspondent, J'.'. . must ask you to be good enough to let Mr,. , . i Montgomerie's opinions ;of me on , Jamiarj; 3, 1905, be my best answer to his published .opinions of me to-day, by very reluctantly •:* quoting the terms of -.the address to me, at follows:—" December 3, 1905.:. .To John Ed- : ward Taylor, chairman. Mangere ' Roadj *, Board. ''' Dear sir,—We, ; ' the. undersigned.,' ijjgf, desire to place on record'our sincere appreciation ' of your efforts in the ' supervision f and erection oE the Oruarangi bridge. We ' recognise that its succcssful v completion* it •.>; largely due to.. your . enthusiasm, and the vv efficient manner in which you carried out ' - :f the details of construction in face of th» ;

many difficulties which presented themselves V•' is worthy of much praise. You have render-.• ed to the Ihumaia residents . and general , public. lasting ' good, by your willing service • and capable direct and we ask yoiir kind acceptance of this address as .a memento' of A the opening ceremony of the- bridge." . Mr. Massey, M.P., also spoke on that occasion . in most eulogistic ; terms of tlio very subst&ntial nature of 'the construction, and .of ■ .-"fl the excellence of the work put into it, and* 5 ■',* of the great responsibility, I had undertaken. The tide , has . flowed: under, it. at a much i "*** more rapid rate than at M&ngero bridge ever • • V; ■ since, without any apparent- effect on the,, ti -'J structure. tlt , may throw ' a good deal of light oh this question if I say that the opetj- - ' .J; ing of this bridge caused our present chair- -'»£l man to have to part with nearly •'«' mile of-' / y, public road, which had hitherto been includ- > ft ? ed in his farmland that he was bitterly op- jj|:' posed to the' bridge nil through. Ho is tho only present member who was on tho Board, at that time. An, to whether . I have the •'v. J ratepayers with me, a unanimous vote, (ex- ivg.g cepting three, to the contrary) for • a committee of investigation to bo set . up, _on my ~/r.;£ motion at our last meeting, will indicate £0 .whether there is justification for _ examining into the details of the various estimates, and '5| the committee's report will further , prove V. i the need, for this, . . ■ ' .T. E. Taylor. i .