THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1877.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 24, 4 June 1877, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1877.

A somewhat protracted and animated discussion took place at the Eoad Board meeting on Friday last upon the subject of the sit© of tbe proposed new suspension bridge across the Inangahua. A memorial wa* # presented signed by seventy-four ratepayers in* : viting the Board to fix upon the site 'at tbe telegraph crossing at the j southern end of Bridge street, and a section of the Board appeared to he ! warmly in favor of the adoption of that ' situation. Other members were, Bow>, ever, no less warmly hostile to tbe ' proposal. A good deal of wordy ! warfare took place, but it was eventually decided to rest contented for the present with repairing tbe old bridge, but as plans and specifications had been prepared for a new bridge at Boss Town, it was also decided to take advantage of that circumstance by calling tenders for the erection of a new bridge on that site. The chief arguments advanced in favor of tbe Bridge street site were, that at tbat point the river is much narrower, that there is a rock foundation for the abutments on the southern bank, and in short tbat it was in every way the most permanent situation. Against this, however, it was urged ; that the cost of forming approaches ' to the bridge* on the site in -.question j would be infinitely greater than the first cost of the bridge. . , These .t were briefly the contentions adopted, but in the heat of debate several important considerations appear to have .been lost sight of. Considered singly, there can be no two opinions as to the most advantageous situation for the bridge, the arguments in the case being alto* getber in favor of the site at tbe intersection of Bridge street, but there are otber and important considerations which weigh against it. In the first place, a bridge tbere would be almost useless nnless made accessible by means of a road through Boss Town to the main Gvey road. Tbis, besides involving a considerable outlay, would necessitate an interference witb tbe rights of occupiers along the southern side of the river, as the road would have to pass through the gardens and paddocks tbere. In the nezt place, to make tbe communication complete bridges wonld bave to be erected across Devil's Greek and Deadman's Creek— two rather difficult; streams in time of flood. An expensive rock cutting would be necessary oa the southern side near the abutment of the bridge, and there would be tbe general objection of the great round about which the adoption of that route would undoubtedly entail. Besides tbis, however, there still remains one very grave objection, and one tbat it is idle to blind our eyes to, tbat tbe whole of the shelf of tableland from the Chinamen's garden to the main road is slowly but surely being invaded by the river, and there is not a sbadow of doubt in our mind, that uajesss very expensive and sub* stantial breastworks are erected along the line of tbe river to stay its encroahmenfc, before many years are over the rirer will be once more running in its old channel along the foot of the terrace. |