"LIKE THE DOOR SPIDER."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 5

"LIKE THE DOOR SPIDER."

; i^HONi ; A,.:W; '■HOGG'S-'OPINibN OFv ■: , !i■;■ ;^^GpVEB]p[ENT;ENOIJN■EBRS.^; -yfi. -.'■• ; ■$: ; OF;;:A;OTi^.BRrDaEM v :^; ; i''(BI;TEUa Kirn.—StlECUl.!COllllEaroNt>imt.| € : :^::^'''r^ ' s.'v . :f ;The: Hon. ;A.'.W. 'Hogg r ppened;a-Dawspn ■.• suspension: bridge :oy6r,;tV;Makakahi .River, ■ at Hamuathie' aftqrnoon.' There was a'fairly. ■■ large .'■attendance, '-. ~ including Messrs/ Ross,; ■M.P. I vß; ; Smith ) T.:Quirk, A.'Rossi Piper, i and.'members of-.the Pahiatua;County Coun- ' pi}.- The 114ft;.span".and;.is10ft. : ■': .wide,';.with'-a breaking strain of'sß 'tons, , and) ■ : ' ™*° ta l'.^eight.'of-12,ton's-.carrying'. v Tlie'oontraot'price, for'erection, is l^8381 , : , >A: : >6te'.of £200 was made. the' Government; '! 5 :and the .settlors ■interested, Messrs: ;Bourke '•'. 'and' Ross;> agreed"to rate'their'properties" in ..'Pahiatua county ; -for"£2oo. : ''The' , ribbon ; on :,tha bridge was sovered by iMiss'Ross, dansh■i t6r}of ; Mr. RossjM.P.-;;;:'.■;::: ; ; ,-'• ■ K,;' • ' i During 'a spoeoh.-.tho Minister stated that the:engineerß;'6f;:the' Depart-! imentjv like the- door'-:spider, were , oojxtent: to. .work in'one' groove.-v'.They .looked 'upon' tho' , Dawson suspension bridge, with contempt/ yet : : the'designer .was a practical man of 26 years'. J experience, ■'■and-, knew:,; more'.'■■ about, bridge, .construction'than I ':^^'so-called .who' :. :despised:ih'is'work.^': v ltr. ;, 'Dawson' -never" , yei. erected : a ' bridge'"which:.could , not.' ■stand ■; any ;test'-. applied. h'i\,'Tke,: 'diffor- , ■ -ent; GovernmOTt Departments'Vwero progres?', ; "sivoin..ev'ery|hing but.bridges,fa'nd'rn'these'. r, w.ere/:content' 'to'eVecy.-heavy,■cumborsomo .structures.at big; expense, 'which ; should bo ; .oarefnlly,; , conßerved.' 5 and ; placed in : ; the rausewnas a; monument of tno work of pre-sent-day engineers.: '-.Had , ; , the Government. ;' engineers designed l the'.;present structure. its: cost 'would Tiave :- .beenvfive or six times greater; .and''consequently ..'prohibitive. '.'lt , was necessary.: to give 'facilities .to' '■• progrosa,- and jthe':Dawson suspension l bridge : . should-'be,' generally accepted for its-cheap--. : >:■;..:;:■ '■; , ■.■.■••'Mr;.p'awson-afterwards''sliated- , that'-he-had ' built'nine suspension bridges' -of. his own.design, 'represonting 1291 ft . ,: at 'a total cost: of £4726,'0r about.£3.lss: per. foot." He had ' built, a-bridge over the Rangitiltei River at Ohingaiti for the Government with a 820 ft. . span at a cost of £8000,'. Pr £24 per foot. He :. had , also erected":a'light. --traffic' bridge 'at : Slangaweka at ■a" cost;,of; £4000,: or- £18 a' .', foot.: A his'■own. design.' 360 ft, span, : ' was built; over;.thp Hutt• River for. -- ;■ £1600, whichh'o guaranteed was'every' bit.'as. ; Btrong andUas^ng :»b- those;to' be erected for ■ the' Government;, Heielt. Satisfied ' that if ; . the : Government :engineers' adopted his style. : of. bridges it would more than .save the hon- '■■ pfarium of the whole of the' Ministers for ■ one year.' ;'.- ■'';' ; -.V , ,-- ; : /, y >■■"■. .•"..■' .';■.■