GREY BRIDGES IN PERIL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1497, 20 July 1912, Page 5

GREY BRIDGES IN PERIL

IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED. . A deputation, introduced 'by Sir Arthur Guinness, consisting of /Messrs. Walter Irvine (chairman of tlio Inaiigahua County Council), M'Enroe (a member of tho council), and Mr. T. Y. Seddon, M.1 , ., waited upon tho Ministor for Railways (tho Hon. W. H. Hwries) yesterday afternoon, in connection with . serious. washaways on tho Grey Rivor, and to urge that the money authorised on last year's Estimates foi , protection work bo immediately expended. Sir Arthur Guinness explained that tho spot nffeoted was on tho border of the Inangaih.ua and Grey counties, where tho traffio and railway bridges (separated only by. about three chains) over tho Grey River stood in imminent peril of being loft high and dry owing to tho serious encroachments that woro being mado with oaoh flood on tho northern sido of the river. If thoso wero allowed to po on unchecked, tho approaches to tho bridges would soon bo imperilled, and tho bridges themselves wauld bo left high and dry. Tho matter of the cost of such protective works as wero neodod had already boon settled, by tho two county councils aiid tho Railway Department paying a. third oaoh; tho engineers of tho three parties had met on tho ground, and decided that the work slioulu ho proceeded with at once, but they had. been stuck up over the Grey County Council being unwilling to bear a. third of tho cost of fcho maintenance. That was fcho stumbling block, and that w.as the reason why the Railway Department had not proceeded with tbo work, though tllvo ramo had been authorised. What they wished now was thnt tho work should bo proceeded with at cnoo by tho Department, and tho matter of maintenance loft for tho meantime : n abeyance. Mr. M'Enroo etatod that tho last flood had taken chains of the bank awny, and that if something was not demo tho bridges wohld bo robbed of their approaches. Mr! T. T. Seddon, M.P., said it was a caso for experts to deviso tho best means of preventing these encroachments. Not only on tho l>ordor but higher up tho river damage had been dono by the river in flood. It was really! very dangerous tn allow tho river to eat.into the banks, and if sometliing was not dono soon the ljridffos would bo left high and dry. Tlee Minister stated, in reply, that the matter would bo looked into at ouoo, anil the deputation would hear frctn him shortly. The smn of .£650 e.ppea.rcd on last year's Estimates for protective works on the llray liivcr.