THE WAIPA BRIDGE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 346, 18 March 1911, Page 5

THE WAIPA BRIDGE.

COUNTY COUNCILS' DECISION. Hamilton, Thursday. A conference of representatives of the Raglan, Waipa, Kawhia, and Waitomo County Councils was held this morning - for the purpose of discussing the matter of erecting a bridge over the Waipa river at Pirongia. Mr Fisher, chairman of the Waipa County Council, occupied the chair. Mr Campbell Johnston, chairman of the Raglan County Council, spoke against the proposal maintaining that the few ratepayers who would benefit would not warrant the erection of a bridge. He advocated the formation of a road to join the Whatawhata road and cross the bridge already constructed over that stream, thus obviating the necessity of erecting a new bridge. The cost, of forming the necessary roading would be about £2500, whereas the cost of the bridge was estimated at .i'-'i-'OD. .Mr Hoit'man, representing the Waitorno County Council, also spoke against the proposal to erect a bridge. Mr Shaw, representing the Kawhia district, asked the conference to leave Kawhia out of the question, as the district, was quite uninterested; but this could not be agreed to. Mr Bruce, a representative of the Kagian County Council, advocated the engagement of an engineer, to be agreed upon by the Conference, to report on the whole matter. ft was decided that the commission sit again at Te Awamutu in April, when Mr Short, the Bridge Commissioner, will be present. Before the meeting closed Mr Campbell Johnston proposed, "That this meeting considers the bridge unnecessary, as the cost is altogether too high for the few that will benefit by the erection of the came." tin a vote being taken, in winch the chairman of each county voted, the motion was carried. The Raglan, Kawhia, and Waitomo County chairmen supported the motion, the Waipa County chairman dissented.