Longburn-Oroua Bridge Enquiry.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 22 December 1891, Page 2

Longburn-Oroua Bridge Enquiry.

The enquiry was resumed on Saturday morning before the Commissioner, Mr H. W. Brabant, Mr R. N. Keeling, representing the Palmerston Borough Council, was present. After argument, his Worship held that the necessity for a bridge had first to be shown before any further proceedings took place, and he called upon Mr Hankins to open the case. Mr Hankins, in opening the case of the Council, said it would be amply shown that the construction of the" work was for the mutual benefit of the twi districts. The Council would be able to prove a fact which the other side would be astonished to hear, that for a considerable number of years prior to 1890 the Road Board persistently urged the construction of the work', both by deputations and by letters to the County Council. The district there contained some of the finest land in New Zealand, and was largely settled. He called attention to the fact that the Road Board actually constructed the road up to the bank of the river so as to connect by bridge with the mad on the opposite side. Supposing the bridge were constructed the whole annual charge to the Road Board would nnly bo £21, so that the cost of the present commission would have paid t'lo interest ot sinking fund for two

was the boundary between the two districts, and could it be said that the settlers in such two largely populated neighbouring districts did* not wi°h to have communicatioS rath each other ? Travellers along* the two roads which required connection by bridge would have to travel 8 miles to the Awahjri bridge and 8 miles back to resume their journey. The Road Board were at present contributing one-half of the cost of maintenance of two bridges in that end of the district, and it was only fair and reasonable that in such a closely settled district the Road Board should contribute towards the cost of obtaining such a great benefit for the ratepayers. He referred to the existence of the Longburn Slaughtering and Freezing works, which had had the effect of largely increasing the price of stock in the district and bad proved a boon to settlers, and pointed out the large amount this Company paid in rates to the Board. It was necessary that through communication should be made so as to allow the settlers to enjoy the full benefit of the works. He pointed out the advantage of having the diversion of traffic into two streams instead of one. The Commissioner said he understood it was a question between the two bodies as to which was the most suitable site. Mr Hankins said the Road Board had formed the road to the river at the point where it was now proposed to construct the bridge. Mr Grant said he would be prepared to show that the most suitable site was in another locality. Mr Hankins said it was owing to the opposition of the Road Board to another site selected by the County Council that tbe latter site was abandoned and the present site was selected on the representation of the Road Board. Mr Hankins read a number of letters received from the Manawatu Road Board in 1884, urging the Sandon-Carnarvon Road Board, now merged in the Manawatu county, to take action with regard to constructing a bridge over the Oroua river at the locality in question. C. Bray, engineer to the Manchester and Kiwitea Road Boards, in answer to Mr R. B. McKenzie, said he had prepared plans for a bridge over the Orona river at the Longburn road. Before doing so, had made an inspection and chosen the Longburn road site as the best one. Did not consider the site of the Awahuri bridge a good one. The traffic over it was likely to be obstructed through the approaches being washed away. The proposed bridge would be 160 feet in length, and the Awahuri bridge over 800 feet, so that the cost and maintenance of the former would be very much less. There would not be much advantage in distributing the traffic over the two bridges as far as cost of maintenance was concerned. The distance at present from Campbelltown to Longburn was 17J miles, while by the proposed bridge it would be 10 miles and 50 chains. He certainly considered the construction of the bridge would be a benefit to the people at Longburn and other settlers of the Manawatu Road Board. In answer to Mr Grant, witness said the site proposed was the most suitable for the convenience of the settlers in that part. Sandon would not derive all benefit from the bridge. The Longburn people would be benefited, as Longburn would then be the natural outlet from Campbelltown. Notwithstanding the large advantage the bridge would be to the Manawatu County Council, witness still thought that the Manawatu Road Board should pay half the maintenance. There are other roads as short as the Aorangi road leading to Longburn. By Mr McKenzio— Diverting the traffic from the Rangitikei Line to the Longburn road would ease the line, which would be an advantage to the Manawatu Road Board. In answer to the Commissioner, Mr Bray stated that the distance between Jones' line and the site of the proposed bridge was about one and a half miles and eight miles from Jones' line to Oroua bridge. At present there is no road on this side of the river to Longburn via Jones' line. Charles Bull, Chairman of the Longburn Slaughtering and Freezing Company, stated that the factory was supported by settlers on both sides of the river, the support of both sides is necessary to keep it going. The erection of the bridge would prove a mutual advantage to the districts in equal proportions. The majority of the stock for the Company comes from the other side of the river, which is a larger district. By Mr Jellicoe This was not the i only bridge he had wished to have, , another was wanted at Aorangi, six < miles from Awahuri. The majority i of the stock at Campbelltown comes to Longburn without the bridge. Witness did not know that it had cost the Manawatu Road Board , £800 to repair the roads used in i carting firewood to the Freezing Works, and that they had only rej ceived £2 10s in rates in return. By Mr Hankins— The grain is 1 1 generally taken by means of . the : tramway from amlon to Fox ton, and there fthijrtsd. There »no grain It'ft&C (ram IMHStott tt» kßfigbMfSK

uy tne uommissior^r-Part of the Longburn road is, very narrow for traffic. Robert. Stevens stated that he was a> la^ge buyer of stock for the Longtrdrn Freezing Company. The principal industry at present in the district is stock-raising. The construction of the bridge would be of great benefit to the freezing works. To go round by the Awahuri bridge with stock would 1 mean another day's travelling. If the Borough wore taken in he would certainly object to contribute to the maintenance as a ratepayer to the Borough, because bridge would divert the traffic to Longburn. The Borough shoould not be made a contributing body. The cost should be borne by the County Council and the Road Board. — M. Times.