Commission re Kiwitea Bridge.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 131, 29 November 1894, Page 2

Commission re Kiwitea Bridge.

The commission continued its sitting yestesday, when the following evidence was taken : — Mr Sandilands, in opening the case for the Manchester Road Board, pointed out that no evidence had been brought to show that the Manchester Road Board | should contribute more than they had agreed to. He called F. Y. Lethbridge, chairman of the Manchester Road Board, who deposed : His body had agree to contribute to the cost of bridge ; (this witness' evidence was similar to that of previous witnesses) ; thought they should contribute what they were asked although it was not of the same advantage to them as to the Kiwitea settlers; the Pohangina County were taking steps to have a bridge erected over the Orona river leading to Apiti, which connected with Feilding by way of the Kimttolton road ; the Coal Creek and Apiti settlers, would come to Feilding. To Mr Reid : The Sandon Small Farm settlers would drain toHuntervillewhen the Rangitikei river is bridged. This was the only witness for the Manchester Road Board. Colonel Gorton was called by Mr Prior and deposed: Held sales in Feilding among other places ; Feilding is one of his best sale places, has known the district for years, and was well acquainted with it ; from the Kiwitea and Harbour Board Block particularly the inhabitants sent stock to his sale ; could not say for certain whether much stock came from Apiti; he produced a return compiled by his son, of the stock which had came down the Kimbolton road to his sales at Feilding for the period from November 1893 to November 1894 as follows : —For the Kiwitea County— Cattle 268 head, sheep 3994; and for Pohangina County 82 cattle, 2452 sheep ; a bridge at the point named was unquestionably a necessity ; his firm had put up wings of hurdles to enable sheep to be passed over the ford after the bridge had been washed away. This had proved of great advantage. Drivers of stock from Waituna would benefit by coming over the Cheltenham Cross road into the Kimbolton road, the feed was better and the way wider; did not know umfil the question was asked, that the bridge on Cheltenham Cross road was now finished, but that would be all the better, it would bring more traffic on the Kimbolton road ; although the Makino was shorter witness would prefer the other. To Mr Sandilands : The sales at Waituna are good in summer, but not so good in winter ; the last two were good ; the sales are largely patronised by all parts of the outside districts ; Feilding was a good market to come to ; did not think settlers would greatly benefit by tenham, although it would be a convenience. To Mr Reid : There was a large number of cattle-dealers who brought stock to his sales ; could 'not state where the stock-dealers brought their stock from. Norman Gorton, in reply to Mr Prior, deposed : The return produced contained as far as he knew the owners of that particular stock which came over the proposed bridge site ; got cattle from Birmingham settlers occasionally ; wool from the Waituna side would principally go to Halcombe; have known settlers from the Harbor Board to go both by way of Menzie's bridge and Aorangi, but mostly by Menzie's ; settlers might take stock from their sales to the Kiwitea district. To Mr Reid: A good many fat sheep in the Kiwitea would go to freezing works and some to the Feilding sale; fat sheep for Longburn would go by way of Colyton, and for Wellington would come to Feilding railway station for transport. To Mr Sandilands : Have had entries from settlers residing in the Feilding Small Farm Block for bis Feilding sale ; these settlers would naturally come down Kimbolton road. Mr Reid : Settlers at the Western end did not use proposed bridge and from the northern end only use it casually. Ewon McGregor, in reply to Mr Reid, deposed : Was a farmer in the Kiwitea County ; was a large producer of wool and cattle ; his annual output of wool was about .100 bales and from 50 to 8 or 400 head of fat cattle ; sent cattle out by way of Olringaiti ; hia wool was sent to Manganpho railway station ; tenders were being called for a bridge over the Rangitikei at Vinegar Hill ; this bridge would drain about Stormy Point, or half the Kiwitea County ; there would be from 850 to 400 settlers who are or will be residing in tbe northern part of tho district ; about 800 lived there now. To Mr Sandilands : Settlers on Kirn* boltou road would come to Feilding. To the Commissioner: Ho was nob well acquainted with the southern portion of the Kiwitea district. To Mr Reid: Steps were being taken to build a bridge at Otara and it was proposed to raise a loan to construct a road leading from Rangiwahia to tho Rangitikei river. F. Homer, in reply to Mr Reid, de. posed : Was a settler in the Kiwitea County; tne settlers from Bouth of Peep-o'-Day to Birmingham, and from north either there or Pemberton; was not anxious that a bridge should be erected over the Kiwitea; when the County is opened up to the Rangitikei the settlers would go out to Huntervillo ; about two-thirds of the County would go to Huntervillo and the other to Feilding ; the majority of those on the Kimbolton would come to Feilding by way of the bridge ; about twenty would be compelled to come to Feifdiug to do business ; the Kiwitea County settlers could come to Feilding without inconvenience, without the bridge. To Mr Prior : The majority of settlers at present come to Feilding with their wool ; some of the settlers around him get grass seed from Marton and others from Feilding ; there is no dray road across the Vinegar Hill. To Mr Sandilands: All fencing wire and other farm requirements must go up Kimbolton road from Feilding ; did very little business in Feilding ; knew carters who carted from Feilding to Rangiwahia ; his grass seed was carted direct from Marton. To Mr Reid : Only supposed the store goods used in Birmingham came through Feilding. (Concluded in to-morrow's Star.)