LOCAL BODIES CONFER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9871, 17 January 1918, Page 6

LOCAL BODIES CONFER

TRAFFIC BRIDGE OVER THE MANAWATU DBP ITT ATI on to wait on the ■' MINISTER. Mr P. W. Goldsmith, clerk to tho Horowhenua County Council, furnished the following report to the last meeting of the council: —As instructed, I attended the conference of members of local bodies and other delegates held at Palmerston North, such conference being called to consider the proposed traffic bridge over tho Manawatu, River at Longburn. There was a good attendance of delegates, and the Mayor of Palmerston explained the object of the conference. It was pointed out that in the, past efforts had been made to get the use of the present railway bridge for vehicular traffic, but the Railway Department did not approve. In 19U a joint report with accompanying plans by . three engineers and the late Mr Armstrong had been prepared. This 'report showed the estimated cost of a bridge to be'.£lß,ooo, and acquiring road and making same from Tokomaru to Longburn on the easterly side of the railway another .£II,OOO, o r £29,000 in all. However, nothing further had been done, and whilst the promoters of the conference were well aware that the txme was wholly inopportune to even think of carrying out the work—this would be quite impossible whilst the war lasted—yet there were aspects of the question which' made it advisable that the position should be again reviewed and also brought under the notice of the Government. . A matter of very great importance to the whole district is the proposed hydroelectric scheme with, the power, station at Shannon. The Government is already pushing on the preliminary work in connection with tho scheme in tho way of survey and .plans, and as it will be necessary to get some means of transit across the river, it was thought that this fact gave the local authorities 'interested the opportunity to ask the Government whether, when the proper time arrives to carry out the work, they will subsidise a traffic bridge at Longburn which oould also be utilised for the cables of the hydro-electric scheme. A resolution was passed by the conference which, provided that the local bodies interested should be asked to

join in a deputation to the Government) asking if a subsidy , will be granted for the purpose ' named. If a substantial .subsidy is .promised the . local bodies will then have to decide if they will proceed with the work when it can bo done, and also how it shall be paid for —by a toll gate or otherwise. If on the other hand the proposed subsidy is turn, ed down by th£ Government that will end the matter for the present. The idea of linking up the main arterial roadway from Wellington to Taranaki, the Main Trunk and Hawke’s Bay, dispensing with steep grades and saving mileage is doubtless a good thing for the country as a whole, but for our own county with its very long stretch of arterial roads, through traffic is not altogether an unmixed blessing, and its advantages are costly. I attach a copy of resolution passed at the conference, as follows:—“That in the opinion of this conference the time has arrived when a traffic bridge should be erected across the Manawatu River at Longburn. also a road made between Longburn and the Bcwa Itewa road, Tokomaru,- and that the local bodies interested be requested to join in a deputation to the Prime Minister and tho Ministers for Finance and Public Works with a view of obtaining a Government stibsidy towards tho project, and that the Government will agree to a commission being set up in connection with the matter.'*