ASHLEY TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6129, 16 March 1898, Page 1

ASHLEY TRAFFIC BRIDGE.

, An adjourned conference of representatives of local bodies interested in the Ashley traffic bridge and protective works was held at the Borough Council Chambers, Eangiora, yesterday afternoon. Messrs Million, Philpott, Dobson and Kennedy , represented the Ashley Eond Bocird; Mr D. Buddo the Mandeville and Eangiora Road Board, and the Mayor and Councillor Good the Borough Council. Mr R. Moore, M.H;R., was also ' present. The Kowai Board was not represented. ; Mr Mflltoh occiipied the chair. The con- , ference washeld to consider a letter from the Minister of Lands in reply to an application for a further grant of <£650 to com--1 plete the protective works. The letter i read as follows: — "As the Board has thought fit to expend a portion of the grant of .£IOOO upon repairs to the bridge, it is really for it to find any deficiency which may be required for the protective works. You are no doubt aware that the local bodies are. liable for the maintenance of the : bridge, and if your Board chooses to use a portiqn of the Government grant for that purpose, it does so, no doubt, knojving 1 tbe circumstances. The Minister is, however, prepared to place upon the estimates a sum of, say, .£loO, provided the local bodies will contribute .£3 for every ,£1 authorised by the Government." After some discussion it was resolved,, on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Dobson, that the .£l5O offered was entirely inadequate for the purpose required. The following motion was received from the Mandeville and Eangiora Eoad Board — " That, in the opinion of this Board, the Ashley Eoad Board has misappropriated part of the Government grant of ,£IOOO made to your Council for the construction of the protective works in the Ashley Riverbed, near the traffic bridge, by applying part of the said grant to repairing the bridge ; this expense shotild have been met by the several local bodies interested } and that the Ashley Eoad Board be now requested to refund the amount of the grant spent on the bridge, and that they make a call on the various local bodies to pay their respective allocations of the same. Further, that the Government be requested to supplement this amount with the .£l5O already offered, which, in the opinion of this Board, would, if judiciously expended, practically complete the work." The Chairman remarked that it was most unaccountable in the face of correspondence received from the Department, that the Minister should write in the terms given, and that Mr Meredith should persistently state that none of the grant was to be spent on the bridge. Nor could he understand the action of the Mandeville and Eangiora Board — which, all through, had supported the Ashley Board — in now declaring that the latter Board had misappropriated part of the grant. As worded, the motion was a most deliberate insult. The Kowai Board had all along consistently opposed the protective works, but the Borough Council's action had been a mixture of approval and disapproval. He read correspondence from the Lands Department, received when the grant was made, which clearly showed that it was understood that a portion of the grant was to be spent on the bridge. He moved — "That in the opinion of the Boards interested, the proposed extension of the Ashley Eiver protective works, being an important part of the whole scheme, should be proceeded with, the local bodies to pay half cost of the works in equal proportions, and the Government to be asked to grant the other half, the estimated cost being .£650." This was seconded by Mr M. Kennedy, but after discussion by other delegates, the Chairriian observed that, as the the Council and Kowai Eoad Board were opposed to expenditure on the protective works, it would be useless to put the motion. He therefore withdrew it, and moved — " That in the opinion of this meeting the .£l5O placed on the estimates should be handed over unconditionally for immediate expenditure ; and that the Minister of Lands be asked to place a further sum of <£500 on the estimates to complete the work." This- was seconded by the Mayor and carried. The meeting then ended.

Neighbours' Differences. — After the more serious deputations had been duly disposed of yesterday at the meeting of the Drainage Board,* two neighbours, resident on the "Wairarapa stream, interviewed the Board. It appeared that one of them had erected a water-wheel on the stream, and, the water becoming low,, had supplemented his ordinary supp3y by placing a floating log across the creek. His neighbour bad complained of the I obstruction to the Board, which ordered its removal. Yesterday the owner of the wheel appeared before the Board, and tried to obtain half aa inch more water. His neighbour was, howevei-, obdurate, and stuck firmly to his one point, which was that he could not allow any obstruction in tho stream. After the Board had listened to its visitors -with exemplary ' patience, the Chairman stated that the matter lay entirely between the owner of , the water-wheel and his neighbour; and ; if the neighbour complained, the natural flow of the stream must not be interfered h with.