DECISION REAFFIRMED

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1935, Page 5

DECISION REAFFIRMED

MOMONA BRIDGE TIMBER effort to rescind motion POLICY IN TARANAKI COUNTY Subject of consideration on many occaA sions during the past 12 months, the erection of a bridge across the Momona stream, Kirihau Road, was again discussed by the Taranaki County Council yesterday, when Cr. W. Hall moved that the council rescind its previous decision approving of the erection of the bridge provided that the three stringers were hardwood, one of which would be provided by the council. By four to two the council reaffirmed its previous decision. The matter had been before the council on many occasions and the time had arrived when the council should make a definite decision one way or the other, said Cr. Hall. Cr. Thomas had had a year within which to accomplish what he considered was right, but nothing had been done. A farmer living within a few miles of New Plymouth was suffering the hardships of a backblocks settler. All last season he had had to carry his cream out because the council would not adopt a procedure, that would provide him with a bridge at no expense to the council. They had the assurance of the Public Works Department engineer that the work if done as at first proposed would last for 25 years. Cr. W. Cartwright seconded the motion pro forma. He agreed that the matter had been before the council too often, said Cr. W. Thomas. Cr. Hall suggested that nothing had been done, but it was known that after full discussions on many occasions and giving the subject a great deal of consideration the council had approved of the erection of the bridge provided the three stringers, one of which would be provided by the council, were hardwood. The council' had a definite policy and had not held the work up because it preferred hardwood stringers to rimu. The council had made a concession, a concession that had not previously been given consideration by the council —by agreeing to meet the Sash and Door Co. by supplying one.hardwood stringer. coun'cil’s PROBLEM. The council had received a similar request from a settler who had taken up land 30 years ago, said Cr. Thomas. The present request was from a farmer who two years ago had with his eyes open taken up a section that lacked an access. In the first case Cr. Hall had supported the policy of hardwood stringers, but in the second case he Vfas prepared to agree to rimu. Could the council justly depart from its policy? They had in fact departed from the policy by agreeing to supply one stringer. He considered the council' had been most reasonable, and he did not think it could rescind its present decision without giving the impression that it did not know its own mind. Cr. Hall had said there would be no expense to the council, but there was the formation of the road and subsequent culverting that would cost about £2OO. The council had signified its; willingness to do the road work.' The settler paid only £l2 in rates. The half-mile of new road would be an expensive / one to . maintain.” ,

“It is hot the council that is to blame for.the deadlock, but the Sash and Door C 0.,” said Cr. Thomas. “They want to tell the council what timber it is <to use in its bridges, ’and will not take no for'an answer.” < •Thechairman, Cr. S. Vickers, traced the history of the actions that had been taken in connection with the proposed hew bridge and access road. All they had to consider, was the principle underlying the matter. When the company ceased operations in the' district it had applied to the council to have .the road legalised as a .public road. The Public Works Department engineer had agreed to recommend a subsidy for the construction of the. bridge up to £l2O, the bridge to be built of material on the site. The deadlock occurred when Cr. Thomas opposed the use of rirnu stringers., They were taking exception to the use of rimu when the council had the assurance of the engineer that it would last 25 years. If the ' council was prepared to have the road legalised and the bridge built with rimu stringers it would be relieved of the responsibility of building the bridge for 25 years. It was a case of accepting rimu stringers to expedite the opening of the land, or be faced with the problem of providing the settler with another access.-

Mr. Lord, the settler, had when'he waited on the council said he was prepared to form the road, said Cr. Hall. If the Public Works Department, was prepared to make a grant of £l2O and the Sash and Door Co. to provide , the timber the council would be justified in accepting the proposal. It was an excellent way of opening up the country. The decision to use hardwood had caused the deadlock. “The deadlock is not our making,” said Cr. Thomas. “The other people are causing all the trouble; they will not take no for an answer. This morning we decided that the No. 1 Hill road bridge needed repairs. That bridge had rimu .in it. Rimu is rimu. It is subject to dry rot and no one can say how long it would last. They cannot say that rimu is. better than hardwood.” When the motion was put to the meeting only Crs. Vickers and Hall supported it.