PURIRI BRIDGE.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 14727, 4 August 1921, Page 5

PURIRI BRIDGE.

QUESTION OF CONSTRUCTION.

REQUEST FOR CONFERENCE DECLINED. ' '

Strong condemnation of the attitude of the Hauraki Plains County Council, in asking for a' conference to discuss the question of the contin- . uance of the Puriri Bridge proposal, >vas made by*the members of the Thames County Council at the meot-,. ing yesterday. : , In. a letter to the council, the clerk of the Hauraki Plains County Council stated that, at the last meeting of the council, a deputation of. ■ ratepayers from the Puriri bridge special rating area waited on the council with a petition asking that . / another poll should be > taken, before the construction of the bridg" was proceeded with. He asked the council if they were agreeable to meeting in conference to discuss and consider such objections. The letter was received. . ■ > - .. ; » The chairman, said some time ago they were talking ferries; , then bridges. A poll was then taken for a bridge at Puriri, which was. carTied. It had hardly been carried before there was considerable op-. position. They'iiad been speiking ' 'of a-bridge at the* lower end to-give, , the .Haiiraki settlers "ommunK'ation with the town. . Now the Plains wanting a bridge at Koruata •*- North, which would give acce.-s to the saleyards. It would be a good •thing to have t at, least two, bridge*, . one in a central position, and one to lead to this town. The question was could they stand three bridges, and would the Government agree to three bridges. They would cost about £l5O, 000, and they asked the Government to pay half. They were going toe f-vr. • One of the bridges would have to be cut out. He could "not understand the attitude of some of the Haurdki Plains people. ' ''They teil us to-day," he said,; "that they haw asked the Department to delav the ; warrant. It seems they have got .- themselves so tangled with three bridges that they" don't know Where they are. They are now wanting a Royal Commission." He would ! like to meet them in conference, but lie did not want to put off the construction of a bridge. Cr. Cox: There is no necessity for the conference. The poll .wag carried, and the Plains are not keeping faith with We should push on with- the Puriri Bridge. There have been ho, ratepayers who Have asked us to.let the matter stand-over. Cr.. Faithful: We should turn dovn their proposal , to meet them in conference? We should put our foot down. The bridge is practically an established fact.; » Cr. McCormick: Where are we going to stop? We took the bridge under section 119 and because a deputation comes along, the Plains wants to hold it over.

The chairman: There will \be n$ finality if we go on like this. :..' Cr. MeCormiek: The two loading men on the opposition were in favour of the Puriri bridge before, but now they are' opposed to it. The chairman: Why have they changed?- • , Cr. MeCormiek: There was a party . who were in an area whic.li when we included that area became opposed to the bridge. I'll mention, no names, but Cr. Cox knows who they are. Cr. Niccol: The poll has been carried and I don't see why one or two ratepayers should upset the* s scheme. We. should not meet them ) in* conference. The chairman: We cannot get any

finality if we go backing about — Members.: There is no backing. The chairman \ There .might be

some excuse for the opposition. Cr. MeCormiek: I.can't see it. The chairman: Well, we are only supplying about l-3rd of the cost and the Plains are contributing 2-3rds, and they would not agree to the construction of the -bridge unless tolls went towards the maintenance of the bridge. I was rather surprised that they should communicate the Minister. • Cr. Cox: Did" not the County say that they would assist us ? .. . A member: Yes. Cr. Cox: Then they have hot kept to their agreement. The chairman: The Mayor told me that although the}' were .hardly in favour of the Puriri bridge, yet they would suppbrt it. i Cr. MeCormiek: What would)they think of us if we did the same thing for the Kirikiri bridge? The chairman: I would like a resolution on the matter. Cr. MeCormiek > The other two sites are settled on, and if it had not been for the financial stringency, we would have got. on with it. Cr. Faithful: We should decline to meet them, and I move in that direction, i

Cr. Cox: I second. that. The motion was carried.