The Question of Bridge Maintenance.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 5

The Question of Bridge Maintenance.

The Wairarapa and Featherston County Councils have-been for some time at loggerheads over the question of allotting the cost of maintaining the protective' works' of the Waiohine River, which flows across the main road between Garterton and Greytown, writes our Wairarapa correspondent. The protective works have been designed by both Councils with the idea of. protecting the bridge and keeping tho river to' the ono channel. Tho Featherston-County was forced to inaugurate battlonient protective works a mile frotn the bridge in order to prevent the river, from an attompt to cross the road at another spot, and then made a claim upon the .Wairarapa County to boar part of the expense. The Wairarapa County' refused to recognise , the. claim, but later' had to erect groins about two , hundred yards from the bridge in order to keep the stream flowing beneath the structure. The -Wairarapa County considered that it had - a good caso against the other looal, body for a share in the cost of. this work. Tho Featherston County, however, flatly refused to contribute, and tho matter was referred to the Counties Association, whose legal adviser, has decided in favour of, the Featherston : County. " Tho ' question m,ust bo answered in the negative," saya £ho report. "Section 119 of the Public Works Act, 2905, includes in the word ' bridge'— 'such protection works in connection therewith as may, by any warrant under this section, be defined to be part of tho bridge.' Consequently tlio protection works referred to are not put under the control of the Council under section 119 (subsection 2) > Subsection--4 authorises the Governor to impose on local authorities part of the cost 'of maintaining, repairing, improving, or' reconstructing any such bridge.' Under this subsection the Council cannot collect any part of the cost of constructing tho said protective works. A further warrant would be necessary for tho purpose." ■ It appears now that there will be no further protective works built away from tho bridge unless both local bodies agree beforehand as to the cost. If this is so, it will provoke a deadlock, in .which both parties and the Government will suffer, becaiiso there is absolutely no doubt that these protective works aro saving tho bridge, and if tho matter is not attended to at tho proper time, tlio bridge will cither go or be very badly damaged, necessitating further and much greater expense.

- Since the Act panic into oneration, that is, January 1, 189!). to- March 31, 1907. a total of £ 1,742,556 has been expended ill old age pensions. Tlie number of members of friendly societies at the close of last year was 53,759, as compared. with 51,103 at the close of 1905, the increase being equal to G.Ol per cent. ■' The " Lancet " says -Employers might do much to encourage their workers ' to leave their occupations clean and tidy, and every facility should be afforded to Ihem in the shape of bath and dressing-rooms of doing so. Quite good clothing can be had cheaply enough, and sn can soap anil water, and tho» are elements which ;> man should use to make himself A pleasure to himself and, need it be added, to' others also.