Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1889. THE BAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 244, 1 March 1889, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1889. THE BAR.

. ., ...» The bar of the river wants imp oving, but the bar that the Government erects to do anything for this district needs removing entirely. Mr Wilson asks for a loaf, and the Government have flung him a stone, in the form of a letter (ten months after the date he applied for attention) and of the character that it is. The letter might as well have been written- the day after the question was put, the youngest clerk could have "advised " the Minister to the same eitentr to "which he has accepted it now, 'only the Minister would not have kept the member ten months quiet. The letter is so much what we expected that it is no use criticiamg itj" and we merely draw attention to the wise reticence displayed as forth* "expert " employed, and also to the witnolding of the repoit he furnished to the Department. It appears from the face of the letter that no work could be profitably carried out. because the survey would absorb most of the amount. Now, if the Government are really in earnest in desiring to do something to improve the Bar, and they are frightened at the estimate of the preliminary costs, why cou d they not agree to offer a sum of £200 as a premium for the best design for works that would be effective, on an expenditure of £2000. We have here an engineer whose chief experience has been in dealing with water in all shapes, and at Wanganui there is a gentleman who professes to be able to do effective work very reasonably, and doubtless about the colony there are many others, all of whom would offer a scheme for a sum worth gaining, and for the superintendence of the work. This could be one more effort, and the sooner it is tried the better, judging by the past, the timo ' it tftkn to obtain attention