That Bridge.

Manawatu Herald, 1 March 1894, Page 2

That Bridge.

+ It appears move than possible that the bridge over the Manawatu river at- .Shannon , will . be? carefully shepherded by the Liberal (pioyerriment until next, election,.,.;-" kept steadily in view " we believe 'is-- the correct expression, much' after :;the styl.e of\ the ..historical bridge ttvier the EangitikeL This of. course is disgraceful but was not 'unexpected by us. It is worth noting as showing the biunbleness ,of Ministerial supporters that the Fur/iner-, which prided'itself so greatly on its stupendous efforts in securing support to Mr Donald Fraser, very carefully refrains from publishing the answer of the Premier to this request, but the N.Z. Times comes out plump wiih the statement " that as to the proposed bridge ( the population at present was not large enough to warrant such an undertaking." The shock to such a throughgoing Ministerialist as the editor of the Farmer is I,'*l,'*"was'too great for words, when he found how glibly his request was treated now that a general'election'is not pending. It iurfcher. appears^ thafc the.:, Premier was 'guilty of a little, only just a little, dodgery, as though a deputation waited upon him when he visited Foxton and informed him that deputations were desirous of interviewing him when he visited .Shannon, '.the Premier took good care not to arrive in that town till the evening and \arranged,, to leave by eigtit" o'clock the next morning, making it appear- as the Farmer pathetically puts ifc of "little prospect of the committee bringing before him the matter of range road and the bridge." However a spoke was put into*, the wheel Vat the banquet, andj- v so it -is reported, " thp Premier enjoyed the innova tion." "Oh, ye, of little guile" know ye not that this was a masker piece of diplomacy" on the part of your guest? A speech was made in which the requests: were mentiuned the Hon. the Premier replied, and thus closed pertinacious appeals, The.next time the Premier is to be b.an^quetted those, who wish-to speak with him upon, public Watte'i's T 'had rbest ai'range -to do so before they *feed Mm, otherwise " all is loafc;^-*' :> The Prfemier^- actions very much belie thevlitttefverße^-he concluded his Shannon speech with Perish policy and cunning, Perish all .that fears the light; Whether losing, whether winning, Trust in- God and db'^th'e lfglit. and gpp^r^plliovigfp'dfe" $to courting -his downfall. lWe shall have more to say about this bridge question as we have had; extremely litfele faith ib^th'e broad ''arjfifecmtion of any'public work oil the part of a Liberal .Minisfctsjr',' lsacce3Svnth fcherii requires the. appUc^n-ts^o hje-■abj.e' to show h hpw f auch; an act jjnay. ,b"e=;f'df "profit to their political iparty^-and unless this can be done, there are small hopes of success., • . •■ 'The answer however.made by the -Premier iis *ati; v ,. .fpiplish one, th« re^fspA cjf "the^application ■ wa&Hhe &«t upon -which he -based his* g\o&ri<S'*f&V "■ reffilfel," viz., the population wtts not large enough. If the population was large enough to justify the Premier granting the viewed, more votes woulcHhug be£gasbed r §It is owing to the "small population and the large area of country benefltted by having a bridge atr this point which was the. valid reason for approaching the' Premier for assistance. We v6jki*^h«refp^^«g l&ust. #'#|fe M$ briage ourselves and by so doing enhance a large-extent of Crown Lands.