ROXBURGH AND BEAUMONT BRIDGES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1117, 28 September 1883, Page 3

ROXBURGH AND BEAUMONT BRIDGES.

On Thursday last, . Mr Vincent Pyke, M M IV, ter t!ie Dnhstan District, laid, tire foundation stone of tiro now bridge to Ire built over the Molyncux at Iloxhurgh, wlriclr is estimated to cost LII.OOO ; and°on the following day he performed a like ceremony at the IDaum-mt, the strnotnre to cost about L 14,000. On each accession he bointr presented by the Chairman of Tuap-ka County with ahindsome silver trowel. In

add. easing the people assembled at the Beaumont, Mr Pykp is reported irt the Daily .Timet as savingHe believed that no such flood as that which carried :wry the femur bridge had occurred ore vi.msdy for 5000 years, and that such a ilo rd would trot occur again for anpther 5(100 yea's-. It aft’ rd el him thogreatest possible pleasure to be present. This was the eighth bridge ho had assisted in building ovoi the Molyneux and its tributaries. When Ire first saw the country around them in 1802 the Proviiv ial Council did not know Otago beyoyg Ttiklimairiro, and he retnemlrered per'cctly well when people at the Taieri absolutely presented a petition to Parliament praying that thn railway to Bdclntha should not- ho made, because, they said, if it was made it would enable pdople there to compute with Taieri settlers in the Dunedin market. At that time the country around them was dotted here and there with mud huts of one room each, in which lived the station managers—the then lords of the country. That was the condition of the eruntry ; bat it even then occurred to him that, since its climate exactly resembled that of Great Britain with the chili off, it

was destined to lie the future Brit tin - I 8 .rongor and g;i> iiter Ihuu fcne Britain north ! of the kStr.iits of Dove, tie was not making those as e tio is rash'y and lo king through ihovec rlsof t.liu country ho found that within tno lust too years the popnl itiou of Mew Z aland had <lou l >'■'(!. fo 1-73 tin; iioiml.tum was *2.30,1100 ;it ri- now 500.000 ; in ‘25 years it would On 5,000,000, and in SO years 14.000,00'. '} hen. again, to show ihe progress of the country he would quote a few more figures. In 1874 there were only 3900 holdings in New Zealand ; in ISS3 there were 0500 holdings. That showe I the progress of settlement. In 1874, in grain and other crops there were 57.9.57 acres ;in ISS3 there were 394,473 acres, and, including grass paddocks, the difference was “till more strik ng, there being under cultivation in 1873 little more tlmn 1,500,0r10 acres, and in 1883 there were 5.50'>,01i0 acres. All this meant pi ogress and prosperity, an yet so no peop e set up a cry about the mining in iustry having prevented settlement. In 18 11 the number of horses in Otago province was 4790, while in 1883 it was 43,000. 1 luring the same period the number of cattle had increase I from 34,000 to 150,000, and sheep from 619.000 to 4,000 000. Mr Pyke spoke of the great importance of the country being opened by means, of roads, i ridges an 1 railways, and of his determination to push forward all works necessary to the welfare and prosperity of the country. Local works should not, he said, he dealt with by Parliament, Imt should be entrusted to the local bodies. Larger powers should he given to county councils, nr there should In some other form of local government established to deal with local allairs. This question he intended to discuss at length on a future occasion. He had years ago endeavoured to get the Molyneux freed from snags and rocks, and it was then found th it there was on y one lie I of rock in the river from the mouth to Cromwell than presented any difficulty, and he believed it could now r be made navigable 'o Cromwell at a cost of 1/25,000. It nrgln bo thought that he had bridges and rail ways on the brain ; but ho should never be sati fied until he saw tne iron horse rushing triumphantly over the Clutha-Valley, and simmers pinqgking their way Up the rii’pii to C’punwell. . f . ..... Mr Bui net. made a few further -remarks, in the course of which he stated that LSdO't granted for bridges had been expeude I on reals by the County Council, an I that fiom the special grant of Mr Kirchiiig’s right to the approaches to the river hail I e m purchase !. An a juurnment was then made to the hotel dining room, where an excellent din- i ner was provided A number of patriotic and complimentary toas's were drunk. Mr Pyke was sp ken ot in the most eulogistic manner, and was repeatedly thanked for bis services to the district. Several who had opposed him at toe last election expressed their intention to support him cordially in the future, and he was loudly cheered when leaving the township.