THE SOUTHLAND COUNTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 10

THE SOUTHLAND COUNTY

NEW BRIDGE AT MATAURA CLINTON-MATAURA ROAD REQUESTS TO MINISTER (From Our Special Reporter) , INVERCARGILL. March 17. The building of a new bridge, the improvement of the Clinton-Mataura road, and assistance in the establishment of the flax spinning industry were among the requests placed before the Minister of Public Works. Mr R. Semple, when ho visited Mataura to-day. While promising a sympathetic hearing to the requests, the Minister emphasised that local bodies must shoulder their share of the responsibility in reading, bridge building and other public works. If they did that the Government would do the rest. NEW BRIDGE WANTED Emphasising the necessity for a new bridge, the Mayor of Mataura, Mr J. Buchanan, stated that the present one was 65 years old and had outlived its usefulness. It was only a one-way bridge and might not last much longer now. ROAD IMPROVEMENT Mr A. J. Cruickshank urged on the Minister the desirability of improving the Clinton-Mataura road, which had been in use for 70 years. The portion of it which was in the Clutha County was in good order, but there were about five miles in the Southland County, which was not at all satisfactory. The road cut off 10 miles between Clinton and Mataura. The member of the Southland County Council for that riding had promised that the road would be improved, but had never fulfilled that promise even though his riding account showed a credit balance of £7OOO at the end of last year. MANUFACTURE OF WOOLSACKS Mr R. Hutton referred to the possibility of manufacturing woolpacks, etc., from flax in Mataura. A small company with a capital of £IOOO had been formed, and it was hoped to do something in the near future, and any help the Government could give in way of moral support would be appreciated, MINISTER’S REPLY The Minister stated in reply that the bridge was on the main highway, so that the Government’s liability was to the extent of £2 for £l. Whether that scale would be changed in future he was not prepared to say. He would inspect the bridge and see what could be done about it. Concerning the Clinton-Mataura road, the Minister eaid the county must subscribe to that. Many counties he had visited recently had been almost bankrupt, and the Southland County Council, which was in a good financial position, must take its responsibility in the matter of reading. A bad reading system meant delay in getting primary produce to the market. „ “There is a national responsibility, added Mr Semple, “and there is also a local responsibility. These counties have got to step on it and spend that money of theirs. If they don’t the Government must take the necessary means to compel them. If the Southland County Council will take its share of the responsibility the Government will do the rest.” , , The Minister intimated that he was having a plan drawn up showing the relative urgency of the various works, and the road would take its place in that plan. Concerning the manufacture of flax the Minister promised that the request would receive a sympathetic hearing, with perhaps assistance later. A NEW TWO-WAY BRIDGE Following a consultation with the Minister to-night, the Southland County Council decided to find £IOOO towards the cost of a new two-way bridge at Mataura. The Minister said the borough was prepared to find a similar sum. It had been stated that a £3 to £1 subsidy had been offered, and if that >vere so the Government would find the remain-ing-£4OOO necessary to build a modern two-way bridge, “We shall get on with it right away,” said the Minister, “ami it should be finished this year.”