Tolago Bay Bridge.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 212, 13 September 1901, Page 3

Tolago Bay Bridge.

,To the Editor of the Times.) Sir, —If there is one thing more badly needed than another in this Cook County at the present time it is a bridge over the j Tolago Bay river. Few people who have not travelled the East Coast fully realize how much Poverty Bay owes to that great

stretch of fertile grazing country, stretching away from Gisborne to the East Cape, for her fame as a wool and meat producing country. Take away all that country I have mentioned and Gisborne would sing small indeed among the pastoral districts of the colony, and if her freezing works did not have to close down altogether they would certainly have their business cut down to very narrow limits. It is only fair, therefore, that the

Government should do full justice to such an important district as this. And seeing the very large amount of traffic backwards and forwards over the Tolago Bay river, which is annually increasing, it is high time that the money was voted for the construction of a substantial bridge over the river. At present crossing and recrossing has to be done on a punt or ferry at the

exhorbitant charge of one shilling each way during the daytime, and two shillings after dark. The man who is running this punt at present pays .£250 per annum to the Council for the privilege. He probably makes another £IOO per annum above this amount, so the public pay £350 per annum for crossing this river. Now,

±•150 would pay interest on £20,000 at olper cent. Ido not know what it would cost to build a bridge over the Tolago river, hut I certainly think that it could he done for less than tho £20,000, in which case it would pay to have it done as soon ns possible, especially when the inconvenience of punting is considered, and the annually increasing traffic up and down the coast.—l am, etc., C. P. W. Loxgdill. Sept, 12, 1001.