THURSDAY, AUG. 9, 1900. The Bridge.

Manawatu Herald, 9 August 1900, Page 2

THURSDAY, AUG. 9, 1900. The Bridge.

«. When a mistake has been made it is wisest to own up and take speedy action to remedy it. This we are pleased to say is the course the members of the Borough Council are adopting with regard to the Wirokino bridge. The mistake they made was thinking they had power to levy a toll upon the bridge, and under this misapprehension they sought the co-operation of the Manawatu and Horowhenua counties in building it. By some incomprehensible oversight these bodies agreed to the proposition of the Borough Council also overlooking the lack of power to levy tolls. No doubt the members of the Borough Council regret having misled the neighbouring bodies which we readily believe was done from pure oversight and not from any attempt to overreach their neighbours. The fact being, at last, very clear that no toll can be levied the Borough Council had an informal meeting on Tuesday with Mr John Davies, the chairman of the Wirokino Boad Board, and the position was fully discussed. It was made plain that the £rror of the Borough Council did not absolve the other local bodies from blame, as though they may have trusted " not wisely, but too well," they should have been as fully acquainted with the local governing Acts as well, and better, than the Borough Council It would further no purpose to hunt after the first sinner amongst so many, and the wisest step is to minimise the mistake made. It was therefore decided to petition the 'Minister for Public Works to pay for the whole cost of the bridge, and a deputation of one member from each contributing body is to wait upon the Minister with the petition. There is nothing like asking, and when the matter is calmly looked into the petition deserves the fullest recognition from the Government. Our share of the loaves and fishes scattered from the Public Works Fund has been small, and though perhaps the Horowhenua County has been more fortunate of late years, it must be remembered that this side of the Manawatu river has been settled for years prior to that to the south of it, and the settlers therefore have been, 1 through indirect taxation, paying

large sums in developing other districts. Looking at the matter in a purely local light we can honestly jay th:u the subsidy of one half tho 2ost of this bridge bas been the first public money spent here for the last ten years or more, and a further orrant would not be anything out of the way. For our part we have been against asking the Government to do more than they have done while it was believed the toll on the bridge would provide interest on the loan, but now that that proposal has been found impracticable, we should we think be relieved by further assistance. The bridge was not erected under the idea of conferring a public benefit for nothing. The local bodies acknowledged the great value it would be to the district and beyond, and they cheerfully erected it thinking that those who used it would contribute towards its cost. The bridge is an important one in a long Lne of public road from Wellington to Wauganui, and is one that should have been erected years ago, but, an Mr Davies said at the luncheon, this coast has had more recognition from the present Government than from any previous Government, and under it, and by their subsidy of pound for pound we got the bridge. It has been possible to travel the main road from Wellington, and from Wangauui, to Foxton, as the rivers have been either bridged or are fordable, but the Manawatu river has been the block, which has been removed by the erection of the bridge. It is evident that on these grounds the bridge must be of much further use than for the immediate contributing districts, and as the Wanganui river was bridged with the help of the old Provincial Government, and the bridge over the Otaki river is being given by the Government, it would not be out of the way if the bridge at Wirokino was built wholly at the expense of the colony. It has been made manifest to the Government that the bridge has been a long felt want, so much so, that the local bodies were willing to take the risk of the tolls to pay the interest, and it has only been from the remarkable oversight of an Act that further assistance is sought. We trust the Government will give heed to the petition and thus relieve the present unfortunate position.