The Bridge Question.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 160, 11 June 1894, Page 2

The Bridge Question.

Deputation to the County Council. A Profitless Meeting.

At the naieting of the Pahiatua County Council on Friday, the bridge committee of the Pahiatua Borough Council (Mr G. H. Smith tho Mayor, Crs Briggs and Wilson), waitod on the Council to discuss tho question of the orectionof the proposed Mangauiooka bridge. Tha Mayor briefly stated the object of the dep nation. Cr Bolton s tid that on behalf of thwhole Council he wouiu like to ask whether the deputation had come with power to deal with the question, or had come simply witli cut and dried resolutions which they could not depart from. The. had asked the County to appoint a committee with power to act; now they asked the deputation whether they were there with power to depart from the actual letter of the resolution passed in the Borough Cour'*il.

The Mayor said they were not. There were alternative proposals to be pLace*l before the Council. They had only power to put these before them, and if either were accepted there would be a settlement of the whole matter. The Borough Council met again on Monday night and if the County Council were not agreeable to accept either proposal waiioul amendment they might add anything or am©-id either proposal to such a form as they wouid agree to .and that would be put before the Borough Couneil and the matter would be ended. The deputation did not wish to take upon theiuseives the respon sibilit.v of agreeing to any amendments which might be suggested by the Council. Cr Bolton : Do you come to discuss the whole question or to ask us to accept the resolutions without amendment ?

The Mayor : We arc- prepared to iis: :i to any amendment. If au amendment were insisted on to either proposal we have no power to agree to it without referring it back to the other Council. Cr Whitcombe: You asked us la appoint a committee witli power to act; i understood the committee of the Boroug a Council W’ould have power to act. The Mayor: I don't wish the Council to be put to the trouble of twice meeting Anything the Council docs to day wih settle th© matter as far as w© are con oerned. Cr Bolton : The pr as they scandal present ar© no: acceptable to oui Council. Unle»s they can be dealt w ith, this Council will not consider the m.tll*.r at all; that is, unless you can accept an amendment or alteration. Tha Mayor: It your Council has .. definite scheme or plan that you wiii insist on that can bu placed m our hand-* to day and wiii settle tile matter. Cr Bolton : Ti: r*. is one portion of your scheme which l.i t'ouuci: intends to insist on. We insist there sliaii be ixo deviation of the walif; that is a point we nnly will bticK to. Also we will in >: up u it that the propoitious of th* cst to be paid by the two council* sha. tfo Ik- as 7:i Borough propose. Thu Mayoi’ : You p.opoae, I presume, r • p .v , oi the cost. . iljugius : ih© other way about. Cr Bolton : It is quite possible the law may compel us to pay a certain proportion : at the same time wc don't think w« arc justified in paying the proportion you have just mentioned. i’he Mayor : Before putting the matter before you at ah we were quite under in* • commission the incomes of the two bodies would be taken into consideration. My own opinion is that the proportion wouid not be half and half, but that the Borough Council would not be asked to pay half. Ur Murphy : Has there been any similar case yet ? The Mayor : There have been numbers of cases. There is a bridge some snort distance out of Napier bunt at the expense of the Napier Borough Council aud ;he adjoining local authority. Ur Murphv : Under the decision of a commission * The Mayor : I don't know about tha: Our only object is to see whether the 1 expense of a commission can be done away with. We know that all the other processes of the Act must be complied with, but wish to avoid the expense of a commission.

Ur Griffith: You maintain that the County ratepayers will be more benefited than tho Borough ?

The Mayor : I think so. In the absence of tho Borough it is a bridge tha; would have to bs built by the County. Cr Hodgins: Not by the whole county. The Mayor: Then there is this to bu considered. The contribution is such a ffeabite to the revenue of the County. The commission wouid consider the financial position of both bodies before making an order for the proportion of the cost. The ratepayers will sitnpiy have to pay he interest.

Cr Murphy : Then it will come out of the whole County. J>o you consider that an equitable adjustment ?

The Mayor: I cannot say. It appears to me that the whole of the ratepayer* will have to pay the interest on the amount apportioned by the commission. I consider our request quite fair and l do not consider myself a part: an of die Borough Council because l am a member Cr Murphy : Oh, I don't say that ; you | are too honorable for that! Cr Hodgins : Do you consider it would be fair to us. who have had to borrow* thousands of pounds to build -ridge*, without troubling the Borough ? Tho Mayor: You have overlooked one thing. YVe have to pay the iuterest on ;hr»e County loans for road*. Cr Murphy : What if the County ask the Borough to pav half tho cost of a bridge, sn vat Hull's ? Cr Whitcombe: That i* not on the boundary. I any question save whether wo can agree I upon anything which may save a possible j commission. It is open for the Council to | say there is one scheme upon which th«*\ will agree upon c* iun conditions. W© only want their decision to b • final. We put these before the Council, an i \f e titer is agreed on we can proceed under he \ Cr Whitcombe : Wo can't lay * * eno : lown straight aw »y und say wo wid agree j I’iu, Mayor :If the Council decide Uirv I will no. otMurihnt mv, than a third or • Cr Bolton : 1 tb n\ the whole Council Cr Whitcombe: Y'ou nveht put it that ] this Council «i!l not agree to contribute ! more than a fifth, but will not guarantee 1 to contribute even that. Cr Bolton : That is provided the bridge is pul over the whole river, and that the cut i« rot made. If they attempt to carrv • that out. we have a legal status ihero an,* Tho M tw' 1 Before .loin a.-.vtb v,o Wt) - • . - • \,

won’t meat me Borough CouneJ’s views the matter is at an end. Cr Bolton : Our Couneil ie bouod to contribute some portion, but I would not be prepared to say what proper*.ion ;it ie only a small portion of the Coonty that would bu benefited. 1 should like to have the proportion ■-t‘cul..:ed vary carefully. We are legally bound to pay some portion, but not half. Cr Tait: Ah representing that portion of the County 1 think it would be vary unfair for the Mangahao rate pa vers to have to contribute. They have had to contribute to the cost of the Mangahao bridge. It would not be lair to put ou a small portion of the County the whole burder of the cost, and it would not be fair to put a rate on the east side, but if the bridge is built those people might go through to Falmerston and use both bridges, one of which we have had to build. Cr Bolton: Whatever rate is put on will have to be put on tbe whole County. Cr Griffith : Then w© can eay mere will be hair dying. Cr llodgius: I w.J «ae then that there i* a petition got up. Tnere are people in my riding that never com© to Pahiatua at ali,4>ut go to Ekelahuna. The Mayor: Then there is the matter of the Railway Station. From all sides you will have to usu the railway. Cr Tait: In common with the whole County my ridiug would be willing to pay a ehare. Cr Murphy : The Tiraumea, Pukemiku, M kuri, and WoodriLu Tirauiuaa wdl certainly make Mangaiainoka their depot for delivering gouo# The Mayor : They certainly wIB *f there is no br.dgu. Cr Murphy : With or without a bridge. The Mayor : I do not inink it is any use our delaying the matter any longer. If you will p-is« a resolution t w«li o# pat before the Borough Council and settle the question as to whether we ean or cannot agree without a cotum ssi jn. Cr Tail : Ar to bridging the rnt-r from bank to bauk it is a thing seldom dune in cases of large shingle banks. In the Wairarapa there are several instances of cases to ttie contrary. I do not see the use of putting up a brg £3OOO bridge 1 there. Tne Mayor: The interest on £6OO. half .he coal of the smaller bridge at 5 per cout i* £3O per year, and spread over the whole County would not hurt anyone. You wi.l only have to pay half the interest, as in© money is found. Cr Murphy: Do you known what we lava had to do to day. We have hsd to l.apensc witn our dinners and put the money in the Countv box. A Councillor: You spent it on s whisky. Cr Murphy moved That this Council rtfus s to coiitiibois any sum toward© the erection of the bridge w be erected over too Man.* * *ioka proposed to be erected bv the Borough. Second* J by Cr Ilodgins. Mi .ki. jf : It seems to me the opinion •»: th© Couo i! fiat nobody whi be benefited except those who five iu the town. s j toll irate on th* bridge. Tn© Mayor : Yon will only have to pay I half Ihe interest. Cr Hod nus: I don’t car©. We don t I went to pay anything. ICr Murphy: Th© best thing you can lo is for the Borough to find the money | and let us erect ms bridge. You will I never be able to build it yourselves, j Mr Briggs : Opinions may differ about I that.

Cr Ilodgins : Oh, if you get the money you will erect the bridge alright. The Mayor : Ihe only thing that pains ue is u.c possibility »»f tuu c jujmission üßnlet ng the County Council iu a much larger sum loan :* asked for. Cr Ballon : 1 would like lossy that the Couuci r©co.*n.?os they vie liable. Cr Whitcombe: Let them recognise uothini! until lh©v ar* forced. Thu Mayor : That is alright if th* cotnrni'ion doesn’t put on mare than £3O. Cr Y ulo : I think Cr Murphy is a little unreasonable in this thing. It is a wrong position he ts taking up. I ui.uk as siiouid agree to contribute something if the scheme fits in with our visas. We should try and the thing in mu« shap© or form, but to wna; extent 1 am not in a position to «ay. I tiunk it would be folly for us to kick up against it because there is no denying tne feet that we are liable for it. Cr Bolton moved—That this Council wee to the necessity of bridging the Maagatainoka river but at liie present time they will not bind themselves u> tbs plans proposed uor to the partition proposed bv the Borough. Seconded by Cr Yule. Cr Whitcombe : I should vote for tfcai if the words ** necessity for bridging * be struck out. Ido not see the nsccssiiv at all.

Cr Murphy t.rongly opposed the suiendmen:. which was then put and lost. For—Crs Tail. Yule. Bolton ; against— Crs Ferry, Ross. Whitcombe, Hodgins. GritSth. and Murphy. The motion was then put and also lost. For— Cre Perry. Ross. Hodgins. Murphy : against—Crs Whitcombe. lait. Griffith. Y’uis. Boitou. Cr Bolton : As far as this Council is concerned we .-anno; come ;o any agree iusnt. The Borough Council might be asked to send down their plans. The Mayor: It will take a very long time. It w© have lo proceed under the Act it is better to do it without delay. Ihe Borough Council wiahes it eipreeaiv understood that the offer to contribute half and half is absolutely without pre j lid ice, and was only made under the .m----prcation than probably an agreement wou ,i be o ue to aud the eoet of a commission avoided. They do not hold them suive* liable in any way to contribute

Ur Bolton : Is that an afterthought ? Tho Mayor: No. it has been *■ my mind a., along. Tne manner of putting these resolutions was left to ua iwttirsly. I* th© orter might damage the Council in view of a commission the Council do not consider themselves liable to half cost. Iho offer w** made with a view loan arrangement.

Mr Ilodgins: If they esu ge; out of a altogether :hey will make us pay it aU. You wot t get it all your owu wa>. t r Furry The bridge should have l*sen , put > p by the Government as it takes the people to the railwav station. It is ou ihe rood to I‘aimereton and may I'euefit * tmu ' *©iU©r*. If tl>e tuatUr had been I put before the Government 1 think the | Th© Mayor: \\e did we could in that matter. Ur Tail: It i* to the benefit id Fahi ; atua l*» have this bridge ere*-ted. and poe 'ibly to the benefit of *-oiue adjoining pine If Faliialua is to be the big iuai*.'« centre a bridge will be to the benefit of ah who have brines© m tbe t r Boiton . \\ # thank you very much for waiting on us in tin© nisi tor. but I am afratd w© canuot agree :o aaMh.bg. The Mavor : It will uow be **ui of oun hand» entirely. We need uol discuss die question of proportion a; all. Tit© magi*irate will have to decide it. The deputation then thanked the Council and withd.ow.