THE SHANNON BRIDGE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2656, 8 November 1923, Page 3

THE SHANNON BRIDGE

CONFERENCE OF LOCAL BODIES. NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN AT PRESENT. At; Shannon .yesterday the local bodies interested in the maintenance of. the Shannon bridge held a conference to receive and discuss the reports? of the engineers. Mr W. Murdoch (Mayor of Shannon) presided, and there -were present representatives of the Shannon Borough Council, Foxton Borough Council, Horowhenua and Man aw atu County Councils, and the District Engineer to the Public Works Department (Mr J. Hannah). A general discussion took place from .which it appeared that the issue at stake was whether the schemes presented were worthy l of the expenditure involved. L The conference of engineers recommended what was termed No. 3 proposal, namely, the removal of the bridge down stream a distance X of 25 to 30 chains. This it was pointed out would involve an ex- ; penditure of £IO,OOO. The chairman addressed the meeting at some length, strongly urging immediate action and emphasising the danger which threatened the whole district through the precarious state of the bridge. This view found favour with the other representatives of the Shannon Borough’Council, who spoke in support of the chairman. Cr. G. A. Monk, chairman of the Horowhenua County Council, ex- ' pressed the view that the proposal was too expensive. He thought that as the Mnnawatu-Oroua River Board was effecting extensive works in an endeavour to confine the flood waters of the Manawntn through a proposed cut to Foxton it would be advisable to await the result of that body’s operations before committing themselves to an expenditure of £IO,OOO. The result of the Drainage Board’s work, he declared, had a. close relation to the proposal under discussion. Cr. Barber (Horowhenua.) gave expression to an opinion similar to that of Cr. Monk, and said the expenditure involved in shifting the bridge was, at the present time, too great. He advised delay in order that more tangible ideas could be secured as to what the ultimate effect of the drainage Board’s work would have on the. environs of the Shannon bridge. The chairman moved that No. 3 proposal, involving the removal of the bridge be accepted, but this did not meet with the approval of the conference, and Cr. Barber moved an amendment to the effect that nothing be done for the present, and this was carried. *