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Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2058, 22 April 1887, Page 3

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at greytown. meeting was held in on Wednesday evening, the Mayor, to consider the the erection of a substanover the Waiobine river, Matarawa with Greytown. the Mayor presided, bis opening remarks said the meeting had been called by Council. The Matarawa had already met and had favor ot a bridge being That such a work would great benefit was beyond but it was a matter that the ratepayers. It was to use the funds of the and they must say whether prepared to be rated for the of a bridge which would not including tho apIt bai been proposed that should contribute £2O per Matarawa £4O under the Act sum would be payable yearly years. It a rate was to be wou d he |d one, which a little surplus over the In connection with the he might state his opinion present course of tho river that would in time bring ; the north end of the town were not taken at once ; it. There was just the that the proposed bridge useless if the river was not the usual channel. He then from the Loans to Local let, as to loans, Ac.

request of the Major, Mr Phillips came forward, and would speak as a ratepayer of He certainly considered bridge would be most beneficial the tradespeople here and also people of Matarawa. Both and property would be beneThe question was. Can we ibis bridge or were we to let the elsewhere ? For their own they ought to subscribe to it. disagreed with the Mayor that a rate of £d would be required ; Borough Council could simply rote ■P) a year for this purpose. Though H* estimate for the proposed bridge believed it would cost Hsre. Mr Wyett had ])laced in his Bnods papers giving costs for lighter Bidges made of iron which could be Bpplied at a much lighter cost. The Bttlers of Matarawa were shut in like Bey were years ago ; though they Bwi the railway it was not always conBnient to use it, and their traps Ifould often be used if they had a Bridge connecting with Greytown. Bbe local bodies were apathetic with feegard to the settlers’ wants. They prere fairly entitled to a portion of [the subsidy to local bodies and he [bad written to the Colonial Secretary np jn the subject. It was most unfair that the local bodies did not help in such a matter. Mr Cotter thought that a rote should be taken. He gave his idea of the money required and thought that as the Borough was in a sound financial state, notwithstanding a £9O overdraft, which incoming rates would coyer—the work might be undertaken. The good derived from the bridge would more than double its cost, and it would be a continual feeder to Greytown. They did not want to be where they were 20 years ago, and they should be caretul lest settlers were driven away. .Some had said that Mr Phillips wanted to sell his land. Well, then the land would be settled and the land as a whole would bo improved in value and a greater trade would spring up. The M ivor had spoken of the river coming tLr ugh the north ot Greytown, but the Mayor forgot that there was body called the Hiver Hoard with money and who would surely avert all such danger. He was iu favor of a poll being taken.

Mr Phillips remarked that nearly ail the land with which he was connected in Matarawa was sold, and it was the settlers who had bought who were desirous to have a bridge. Mr Welch, of Matarawa, said ho was glad to see that the people of Grevtown were really alive to opening up communication. At the same time he considered that the matter had not been put before the public fairly. He considered that Matarawa had good communication with Grevtown already. The place had nine miles of roads opened up and a fair share of what money was going had been expended in the district, and the Matarawa people had no claim upon anv Board for monev. Mr Phillips had said a special vote was unnecessary M hy, no money could be borrowed without it. The Grevtown tormigh had an outlet I t every penny it con d get, and with an overdraft it was not likeiy it would pay a year f-r L’n year-* It had been > ; » id that the rirer had caused 1 >ss of life: it was because s i;no persons were fu :s enough to try to go through when the riv> - was high--they should go round, or ite.e was the railway. Matarawa was not an agricultural district, so that the trade would never be much. Thi re was i.o back country to open up —and at the pre*eut time you couid not get 50 acres ut level laud ; other land was valueless. It was different now to what it was ten years ago. Then they had no roads. To have a bridge now would be a luxury, but not a necessity. Was it the wish to place a mortgage upon their properties for the next 26 years in order to obtain this ? Mr Cotter had said that Grevtown would receive benefit— What benefit ? There would be no Additional trade, for they dealt with Greytowo tradespeople already. If there was laud to open up, the bridge might be au advantage, but there was none and he considered a rate to build A bridge would be a burden. JdtUdy, jun., thought the bridge

wm a necessity, which the number of persons crossing on the prc'ent suspension bridge proved, bui he wa.s in doubt as to whether the proposal would be carried out yet a while. He knew that if the swing bridge were washed away another would be erected and he could not help saying that many persons who begrudged the money for the present one were glad enough to use it, and pretty often too. After some desultory conversation in which Messrs St George, E Gray, Webster and one or two others took part a motion was formulated and proposed by Mr Cotter as follows: — “ That a poll of ratepayers be taken as to whether the Borough of Greytown is willing to raise a loan towards the erection of a traffic bridge between Greytowu and Matarawa, and that the Matarawa settlers be asked to take a poll on the same day.” This was seconded by Mr Varnbam.

Mr Webster remarked that the majority of the settlers at Matarawa were in favor of the bridge. At the meeting lately held there were only two or three persons against it; Mr Welch was one and that gentleman was wrong in saying that tho people did not want a bridge. Mr Phillips said 23 persons were present at the Matarawa meeting and 11 voted for and 3 against -t bridge | being built. Mr Welch—Some were not ratepayers. After a little more talk the Chairman put Mr Cotter's motion. Hands were held up and the Chairman said there were nine for and nine against the motion. A division was called for and then the Chairman said there were * tor and 10 against; but afterwards on learning that he had not counted three ratepayers who were sitting down he declared that tho motion for a vote on the question was carried and the meeting broke up.