Oroua (Aoranga) (Aorangi) Bridge Inquiry

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 97, 13 February 1892, Page 2

Oroua (Aoranga) (Aorangi) Bridge Inquiry

This inquiry, which Mr Brabant was commissioned by the Governor to conduct, commenced . at the Feilding Court House yesterday. The Manchester Boad Board having resolved to erect a traffic bridge at Aorangi, that is at the Oroua ford near Feilding, applied to the Feilding Borough Council, the Manawatu Bond Board, and the Manawatu County Council, each to contribute a fourth of the cost of its construction. The estimated cost of the proposed bridge is £•3000. To this application only the Feilding Borough Council- conseniedpand the two other bodies refused to contribute, consequently the Manchester Road-Board applied in terms of the Act of 1889 for'an inquiry, in order that the cost of the pro* posed bridge should be fairly, apportioned among the local bodies whose .ratepayers would derive a direct benefit by its construction. The eastern bank of the river at the bridge site is in the Manawatu County, though the Borough boundary is very near to it, and the western bank is in the Manawatu, Boad: district, but the road which leads up f 6 it was made, and is under the management of the Manchester Boad Board. Mr Bansome, chairman of the Manawatu County Council, and Mr MoKenzie* r a member, represented their body; Mr Grant, chairman, represented>the Manawatu Boad Board; Mr. :Prior represented the Feilding Borongh' Council ; and Mr Sandilands the 'Manchester Board. Mr Brabant having read his commission and opened the inquiry, Mr Sandilands stated the case for the Manchester Boad Board and the reasons why theinqniry had been rendered pecessary. Mr Prior, on behalf of the Feilding ; Borough, '.consented to contribute a fourth of the cost r jpf_the erection of the bridge?. In ? rejpty^tol the Commissioner, he. said toat^his instracdid not allow him to acknowledge any further liability, r -\ .;,:i ,i Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, chairman of; the Manchester Boad Board, was. /the^ first witness called to proye;.ttie Jaecesaty of the bridge proposed to 'be '^erected at Aorangi, and the benefit it would be to the ratepayers of each -of the bodies represented. Mr. Lethbridge saidsfhaJMhlripas a farmer residing -nthe Manawatu County and owned land in the Man^watuJ^ead Board district.; The .Manchester Board had resolved to build the bridge in consequence of the pressing requests of settlers on both sides of the river, and ratepayers in both road districts. [A petition in favor of the bridge, which, had. Jbeen.~presfinied to the Manchester ;Boad; Board j was put in as evidence.] , Mr/ Lethbridge ? continued, and said that t|?e ; ratepayer intee No. 5. Ward had shown themselves in favor of the bridge when a poll wp taken on the question of its- construction, and the formation of the railway [road,"s^rt{he was not able to say whether a majority of the Manchester Boad BoardTdigtrict^were willing to pay a special rate, for money that might be borrowed. jp^iijß^ construction. He was of the opinion tnaiPthe bridge was re.quiredT)eoause it,was-on the line of a considerable' amount of traffic, both by the general jrablic and by settlers driving stock 4& 3he districts on the-north side of the Oroua to those on the- west, including the flocks that travelled from Jsa.pj£4{bjf way of the Gorge, and, . to. the different sales. The road, said the, witness, leading across the river at, the .bridge, .site wuthejoearest way from Feilding to T Palmerstoß, and the erection of a Ki-i«1g« wonld Jiaye_the effect of largely increasing /^tr4ffic,^Snd would be of speciahb'eDefit in-*removing a danger to travellers, which last consideration, he said, was sufficient alone to justify the small expenditure_that_was required for the erection /Of.. the bridge. The river was, liable to sadden floods, at which times' the' river was impassable, when it became necessary^ for tr^yeUers and stock-owners to go "around, eiwtejFby way of Awahuri or Menziefffbtidge,*wnicn would increase the distance to J3eu3ißsby four* or five miles. Persenally, v he ,w,as of the opinion .that the Manchester -'Boad Board, the Borough CounciT of rF^il^xng, and the Manawatu Boad Board', 'should each contribute an equal sum fo the erection of the bridge, btit that the Manavfetu County Council should be lefc off with a little less. .-. ;.•- ."'■.-.;>..; i-ha^l'^ Examined by Mr Prior : ■ : The witness said the bridge would be o^ greater fit to the settlers in the northeastern portion of the Manawatu County than' in the remainder,' but that the portion- which would be benefited by the* bridge was the more thickly inhabited.- The greaterpart of the Manchester Boad District was north of the proposed bridge. He. was^ a large ratepayer, both in, .the last, named, r,oad district and in the _ Manawatij, Qaunty, and wa's quite willing to contribute 'towards the bridge by way of special fate. Examined by Mr McKenzie : He believed most of the traffic .byeT the bridge site was of settlers going; to the towns. Was aware there wereV some large land holders in the Mount Stewajt haing^of the Mauawatu County, would" not call it a thickly populated hiding. He thought a good proportion of the stock brought f rom "Napier-. vas .^it yards f or sale but • that khky were* taken past Feilding. He could not name more than a dozen ratepayers in the Manawatu County who would require, to drive .stock over the bridge. , . * ; ; Examined by y Mr Grant ; The Manchester Boad Board claimed -authority to erect the bridge on the ground of haying the road leading up' to the%ite ofi the north side of the • river, under their control. [Here the copy.of^hegjupette vesting this road in the Manchester Board was put in by. Mr Sandilands, l ;,TJbußiexaunnation. occupied a long time;but r nbthing new was elicitatedij ' ■•-'••■" - The witness enumerated to Mr Sandilands the ratepayers in the Manawatu Boad district whom he mew - were! in favour of the bridge. In reply to Mr Brabant; Mr Lethbridge said that he did not consider the,Bpecial rate required to pay the' interest- on -foe loan of L3OOO would bear ' heafy on the ratepayers the amount which would be required annually from each contributing body was L 37 10s. U'iMWlj'i Mr G\ 0. Liddle, manager, for Sir C. Pharazyn, next gave evidence. ~ He said that his duties necessitated him crossing the ford at the bridge Bite several times a week, often with sfook. His experience led him to the conclusion that- s 'bridge at Aorangi was very much required, and would be of great benefit to stock; owners of Bulls, Marton, Sandon aad'Awaiiuri. It would effect a very great saving in the distance to .be traversed as compared with going around by^ Mengie's bridge, or Awahuri, to the majority who moved stock from one side of the river; to the other. The witness also* mentioned the liability of the river to. become flooded although no [rain may have fallen about Feilding with the consequent danger to life in using the ford. : [The business of the commission was still going on as we went to press;]' |1 Settlers and others when coming' ih to Feilding are reminded of J. B. Hamilton's first great clearing sale. JBeduc* tions varying from 20 to 60,p0r cent ofE usual selling prices. Undoubtedly the cheapest bouse in Feilding tor drapery and clothing.. The. largest and most varied stock on the coast id select from. One visit of inspection will lead to future sales.— Advt. The summer sale commencing on Saturday, January 30th, and intended? for the disposal of the balance of thl stun* mer stock promises to, be. one ofTTlhe most successful ever held af Te^Aro House, Wellington, V „ If you would liye long and prosper drink good Coffee. It make.t!i the fiear^ glad, keepeth the brain clearViiwi'helpctii disjestion. Be suie and ask fo'r'CrNßise's AI Coffee. • 'o^iy in 1 tnd2lb tins: