Re Loading for Waiau Bridge.

Western Star, 23 November 1909, Page 2

Re Loading for Waiau Bridge.

I In regard to the above matter, Mr J. C, 'Hhomson, MvP.j lias received the following communication from‘the Minister for Lands ; Referring to your letter 0 f the 25th ult>; .addressed to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Invercargill, an.d the members of the Southland Rand Board in, which you suggest that the uni so Id Crown Lands : west of the Wiaiau River, should bo 1 loaded with the half cost of the profposed bridge over the Waiau River, a lull report has boon, reoeitjod from the Commissioner of Crown Lands in connection with this matter, a nd it is found that the greater portion of the Crown land in question has already been loaded for roads, .and such loading ha S’ been spent. The only ’area 01 Crown land near the bridge site which has boon loaded is an urea of sixteen hundred acres which is marked on our maps a a “Native & Bush Reserves,” With regard to the nua ol thirty-thine ’thousand acres oi Crown land ('unloaded) in the Liil-’ l)ii m district, the Commissioner states that the whole of the loading ■which oa» be put upon ' this land will Ire required for the internal roads when the Block is and none of it could lie diverted towards the erection of the bridge in question. Under (these circumlstahces/ the Southland (Land Board cannot recommend that the' ‘unsold Crown land above relented to should be loaded with the half cost j of Ike bridge over the Waiau River, for the simple reason that ’nearly" the < whole of the Crown land in the vicin- i ity has already been loaded for t roads, and none of the loading is 1 available for bridge purposes, and as for the lands which aye still umlloadc d, the whole ■amount with which they , con Ijjg loaded will be required to make } the internal roads. <