The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1882. The Proposed Bridge over Dobbin’s Ford.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 695, 22 July 1882, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1882. The Proposed Bridge over Dobbin’s Ford.

TOWN EDITION. [lssued at 4.20 p.m. i

The “ own correspondent,” at Wellington, of our thrice-a-week contemporary, whose identity is very thinly veiled, lately telegraphed to that journal that “ the carried at the Canterbury caucus on the motion of Mr Ivess, for a railway and traffic bridge across the Rakaia at Dobbin’s Ford, as an instalment of the Southbridge and Wakanui railway, has not been provided for in the works to be constructed out of the new loan. Sir John Hall and Mr Ivess have the matter in hand, and the Minister for Public Works has promised to give the matter his best consideration. The statement that the sum was recommended by Mr Wright is entirely without foundation, as that gentleman in no way supported the motion.” The bitter indignation that the advocates of the proposed bridge might naturally be expected to feel on learning that the funds necessary for its construction had not been “ provided for out of the proposed loan” was doubtless largely mitigated by the comforting assurance “ that Sir John Hall and Mr Ivess have the matter in hand.” If it, indeed, be true that Mr Wright “in no way supported the motion ” urging the construction of the bridge, we have not the slightest doubt that that gentleman had very excellent reasons for his decision. Indeed the bridge over Dobbin’s Ford appears to us to be about as necessary as bridging the tops of the Southern Alps. In order that all our readers may thoroughly understand what it is that is so closely engaging the attention just now of the ex-Premier and the member for Wakanui, we may mention that Dobbin’s Ford is situated about three miles from Southbridge, in a direct line with that township, and that the proposed bridge would connect it with Wakanui. The new line, if formed, would run parallel with the main line of railway, and only half-a-dozen miles or so would separate the two. The bridge, if erected, would, it is contended by the Wakanui-tes and the people of Southbridge, greatly facilitate the despatch of their grain, etc. But with the main line so close to them, comparatively speaking, the bridging of Dobbin’s Ford would simply mean the uncalledfor expenditure of some L 50,000 o t L 60,000 for the attaining of an object which can be gained by other means, and which therefore does not justify the laying out of the heavy sum involved. Should any doubt exist as to the amount we have specified being necessary, it must be remembered that the proposed bridge would have to be three-quarters of a mile long—a length that would rival that of the bridge over the Rakaia on the main line of railway, admittedly one of the longest bridges in the colony, if not the longest. Then, again, to add to the cost of the undertaking it must be borne in mind that there is an island in the centre of the ford—most awkwardly situated right in mid-stream. Seeing that the bridge would benefit so few people, comparatively, and that ample facilities already exist to meet the requirements of those people in the shape of the main line of railway, we are at a loss to conceive how any person could have had the temerity to urge such a hairbrained scheme upon the attention of the Legislature, unless indeed it was tor the sake of throwing a sop to a section of his constituents, and seeking to ingratiate himself with them at the expense of the country. If increased facilities are indispensably necessary to the handful of people who are making such a fuss about bridging the ford in question, a far cheaper plan could be adopted which would answer the purpose equally well. This would be by constructing a loop line, or loop lines, of railway, connecting Dobbin’s ford with the main line. This could be done at one-twentieth of the cost involved in the erection of a three-quar-ter-of-a-mile bridge, and the anomaly of two parallel lines of railway running within cooey of each other would be avoided. The member for Wakanui is doubtless a most energetic individual, but in this case he has certainly allowed his zeal to outrun his discretion.