West Coast Farmers Co-Op. Lime Producing Co. Ltd.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1924, Page 4

West Coast Farmers CoOp. Lime Producing Co. Ltd.

BRIDGE OVER DONNELLY’S GREEK. The Secretary (Mr A. D»ig) ol the Grey Valley Brunch of the Farmers Eiiioii, kindly sent me the correspondence between himself and the Ho.t Contes, Minister of i’llblir Works, in entitieflioti with the above bridge. Hi-’ .Minister’s reply is as follows: “in rcplv ii.i your lotlor mjuc'-liii.i a Government grant to erect a bridge ever Donnelly's Creek to give improved access to the Ross lime works, ! have

now Hie honour to tiilorm volt that this matter has been investigated a.id

I find four 25 IT spans are required to bridge this creek together with lAi' protective works to keen the creek under the bridge. Approaches would also have to be lormcd and the who', work is estimated !« cost about L2">. t am advised, however, ilmt the ’-or I at present in use is quite good enough for horse drawn vehicles although i n account of tho soft nature of the creek bed it L not .suitable for a motor lorry. The question of a GovornnicMt grant Inis been carefully consider.-.!, hut in view-of the fact that lair across to the works already exists, I regret I am unable to see my way to approve a Covcrmiicpt .grant for the erection of a bridge." Wo niu-t give Mr Coates credit l’< r trying to’ convert the resources oi this young country ami not squandering money on every wild eat sche it.' brought before turn. If we can show hi in that every fanner on this Coast wants lime and is prepared to pay a reasonable price tor it so tout !m ;an grew two blades of gill's where untie grew before then he will help e. First ht me say that v, e do not waul an expensive bridge, nor do we in- ’d Id lit- g.dl't: spans to l online the ere.'k. Distances are deceptive so tl is morning th.e creek being in bigli fiend a Hot hours of continuous rain, I nmaMircd the main t radio bridge aver Donnelly’s crook below where Jones's creek pou>’s its waters into Donnelly crock. There are no tailings being Hui.-'d into the creek now s4i a narrow gut about fiottr feet deep lots been cut in the second span trout the north -i !e el this bridge and all the water triishmg through this gap oi 2 ill. I quite agree with the statement d several old millet’s who have liied In re I>r -ili years that a bridge .dltit by !i above the creek bed will carry all the water in time ol flood. The statement that the ford at present in U'e is quite good enough for horse drawn vchicles is not always correct. Owing to the rough nature oi this creek after a Hood, during the New Year holiday- our lorry had to In sent away tor repairs, we engaged lira;. • to can lime to the railway tLatiiui amt one of the teams (two horses) crossing with an eilipiy dray got stuck in tin.: creek and had to coa-e wank. Our lorry lias had the Iront ami rear drive broken, springs broken are common, till last smash broke every leaf in the front spring and taken altogether miles on a road would not do the -aonor one fiftieth part of the damage that those bl) yards through the creel; does to the lorry. After every iiood nui

men have to don gumhoots and ’oil rwav the boulders to make a m i crossing pos-ible lur the lorry. We had a visit yu Eriday iroin ,lr Miuistei of Miiie- illuit Anderson and Idle a canny Scot he said that Julias a mailer for his colleague, lion Coates, or if it concerned lime the Hon Nosworthy. Si range the quarry is inspected by an Inspector of Mine.-, of the .Mines Depart mem and judging by certain information be gave us later the I !t,n gentleman knew mow about the subject than lie was pro pared to acknowledge at lit'xl. lie told Its he had heard splendid reports about the quality of lime we were turning out wherever he had been from beyond Reefton to Jlarihari. He asked Ihe capital of the Company and sate, he was surprised that the Company had nol erected the bridge long ago.

Had this bridge boon required by a I Company lie named on the East Coast they would soon have built it even it the shareholders had been asked for auothiT os per share. Lest he should think tit a L we were not sufficiently interested locally the Secretary introduced him to a certain gentleman who had lent the Company C'ltitiO free of interest so that they might carry on. The Hon gentleman promised to put the matter before the licit Coates when he returned to Wellington and thought we would be lucky if the latter oli'ered to give LI tor LI towards construction. We will plead “Simple Simon" and say that if the Hon, gentleman meant that lie could give LI for every JL'I the -Minister of Public Works gave we will say "Hear. Hoar." Rutting till joking aside this matter is of vital importance to every farmer on the West Coast. Rise to the occasion every Branch of the Farmers' I'nion and every Chamber of Commerce on tiie (.’oast and if you want to make Westland a second Taranaki then do your duty and u-lc that some of your money sent to the Treasury should he returned for the building of this bridge. The farming community are crying out for lime and wo cannot supply -■>•'- , dors fa>t enough, therelore we must have improvements and cut costs provide cheaper lime, which means more produce, this in turn means more exports and then, again returns cash to tho public exchequer.