THE KARAPIRO BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1419, 6 August 1881, Page 3

THE KARAPIRO BRIDGE.

At the meeting of the Waikato County Council yesterday, Mr Wells in reference to the above matter, eaid the Council was good enough at its last meeting to authorise the Cambridge Town Board to spend a sum of £150 in raising the bridge over the Karapiro Creek, at Cambridge, and improving the approaches thereto. The Board had accordingly instructed their engineer, Mr Gwynneth, to make an estimate of the cost of the work required, which had been. done. He had hoped that day to have asked the authority of the Council to proceed with the work, and lie would have done po had the estimate been anything like within the sum voted. The Engineer's estimate for raising 1 and patching up the old bridge was L 460, but Mr Gwynneth had told him that a good deal of the timber was rotten, and strongly recommended that instead of repairing the old structure, a new bridge should be erected, the cost of which would be about L 690, with the approaches. It was scarcely necessary for him to tell the Council that this work was as much beyond the power of the County to carry out, a 9 it whs out of the reach of the local bodies more directly interested. The Town Board would have been prepared to go to the extent of, say, L5O to supplement the County vote, but they would see that the latter was only about one third of what was required to repair and raise the old bridge. He thought the work in question might fairly be called a colonial work. The road over the Karapiro bridge was the main thoroughfare between the port of Auckland and the large extent of country opened up to the south, and to allow this bridge to fall into decay would be to stop the traffic between these important points. It was necessary to cross this bridge to reach Taupo, Rotorua, the Patetere country, Matamata, and other places. He would also like to point out that the Government had lately taken up large blocks of land in that direction, and had laid out a township, to all of which access was obtained over this bridge. It was therefore only fair to ask the Government to find the money neces&ary for its repair. It was quite beyond the means of the local bodies, and the Government should at any rate render some assistance. If there was any prospect of the local Government measures of the Government being passed, all that they required would be done, He would move " That the Council make application through the member for the district for a sum of money to carry out the work." — Cr. Primrose thought it was as clear that the work was absolutely necessary, as it was certain that it could not be executed out of the County funds. In view of the small probability of the Local Public Works Bill becoming law he would second Cr. Wells' motion. — The Chairman quite agreed with the remarks which had fallen from the mover and seconder of the motion. — Cr. Primrose thought the Council might send a memorial to both members" for the district, urging them to try and get the local government bills made law during the present session if possible. All the bills in question would suit Waikato remarkably well, and he thought their members should be induced to bring all the pressure they could to bear upon the Government to get them passed. — Cr. Wells' motion was then put and carried unanimously. — Cr. Primrose then moved, "That the clerk be instructed to write to Messrs Wliyte and Whitaker, asking them to use their best efforts to get the local government measures passed this session." — This was seconded by Cr. dimming, and carried unanimously.