The Thames Star FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1919. THE DIVIDING LINE

Thames Star, Volume LII, Issue 13965, 15 August 1919, Page 2

The Thames Star

FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1919. THE DIVIDING LINE

"Wltk auUM tm4 wmi w*h ckarity fora&j wMk iao«cM tai m Hgtt, u Q*A give* m "im tM tfc» rlfht M —Lntcotw.

It ia an pxtr&oridiiinaay thiiing; that for so many years the people of boitii sidieisi of tihe Waihaui hav© allowed that sittrteiaJMi tKx renaaini a dividing line separating, the people *ad kitietfests oif tihe ai-eti® on each bank just, as oom(pleteily as the English Cltfunmieil sep- (- ariaites Frtooei aiad England.. This davdistiomj has fostered paa-ochiaiisml, suspicioini and jeff.looisy, j\>nd liasi prerenited adinthastiraitiOir'sv pulled thig way amd tihaib by naa-row inter este, froin itiaikinig a broad view of affaikis. It i«& hairdly too much to saj iha,]-. tlie lacik of bridges across the" V« a.ilioiui, whiioh ■would ha.ve brought, the setitlei-s of i eadi side dntioi ciaser ioucih and oreaiteid greater coammiuaiiiii.y of interest bebween) tihe, two groups, is p«r'haip& ; the principal reaisaii why Thamneis Goumty wall sihoirtly lose Haua-aiki Plaiinis. There- aire fei-nes of oounse, < buifc they do no* link together ISik© a ' bridgo. If ferries were stirumg 1 aaroßisi tihe rivtir all thej way fromi Thames!' to Hikutrtiai that'would tk^ promoiite oonivwniiieincie and comaifort and indue© settlenneintti half so • mudj as one. ! buiidge. Any ddea tihatt) a ferry can . compare in econoany with a biidaie is totally erronetoius. The firsti cost od' the fea-iy is oerteinly less, but, there l is ooni:(inu!al riminding cosH' and Uhei ' ferry irequiireis oomltliiiual renewal. It Is different, with -a nnodei-n bridgte. It bertiainly costs morei to • erect a. i sttructiuire in feraioi-ooinoreto, but the • i oooitaibuftloirfei only piraride intea'estt; aaid j j fidnikiiig fund (no maintonanc©) foa* j ; 33 1-3 yeaa-is. M-omtheiii oa the bridge ] jis entirely, free aaid it may b© as 1- ] i serted tihat' it will practically la,st for eveir. • . < ! Tnamies Boroiugili woiuc" benefit con-; ' sideaiaibly by . the ea-eotC'Oii of a permianenlti bi-idigei aciross the Wadhou a* a ] spot pro oomvcTiiieintj-, as pO'Ssdbl© com- i j patible with tcioaioimiy of constructdon!, ; amd wo'uid tho' douibtfc be iprepared -tiot" ' cowttribute a consnderal'']? • pi'oportion •

otf the cost, but) tihe JsoU'Jers of each side would benefit far more. Such a bridge would bring -about a motor parcels deliivory and motor bus <xm~ neatiiwn between every part of the Plains, Thames Valley and Tham**. Bread,, meat, g'roeieries. mail®, etc.. would be delivered to the iaa-mers' 1} door as is done din. other places. Suioli a bridge would also be a, most important factor in emaoyi aging motoatravel from Auqiklairwl amd the East CoQiab, whaoh would certainty have the effieati of' iincamsiag'tfoo stettlemi,w of lands aifc present lying; idle. Good loads and bridge® -arei the best forms of aidvartisinig any district qpn adqpiti to^ a'titanacftl ®Mem. A perin&ueinf bridge racmsg, the Waihoai is otme ©f the crying meeds of iihis dostirict and it % to bo hoped tihteut the two Cbunioils whot air© "keeping the matteir steadily in view" -wall -approach tihiis bridge quedtiioini in, a) „bioad-minded spurib-—asnd mftlhouitl delay-^so that the district; may no longetr be isolated mot only by bad roads 'but by am; unbridgied river.