KAWARAU BRIDGE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 331, 9 July 1875, Page 3

KAWARAU BRIDGE.

It is to be regretted that the Council did not see its way to recommend the purchase of the Kawarau bridge. The question came before the Goldfields Committee on petition. The petitioners asked that the Government should purchase the bridge, and throw; the same open free of toll. The Kawarau bridge was constructed by private contract. That is to say that a contractor or company agreed to construct a traffic bridge if allowed to farm the tolls collected. "Under the conditions power is reserved by the Superinlendent to alter or modify the rates of tolls, and also to buy the bridge at valuation. A few other bridges in the. have been constructed on; similar terms. This plan of constructing public works—though radically, unsound—is very tempting to Governments not overburdened with cash. It really amounts to obtaining a loan of money. The only difference between' a direct loan and this indirect mode of; obtaining an advance being that in the; one case a certain fixed rate of interest is paid by the Government for; every £IOO borrowed, while in other a usurious rate is paid by the: public;. The Committee no doubt, considering that, the Kawarau bridge—although the first bridge constructed •under the contract system-—could not be singled out for special treatment,; recommended " the" purchase of all private bridges erected under Goyern-: tti'erit conditions out of any loan or actvance obtained from the : General Government, and the reductiori°of thetolls on such bridges! to a ;limit that should provide funds; sufficient for interest, for a sinking fund and for maiu-i tenance of these- bridges." At the same time, from the evidence—on the special case of 'the Kawaratu"bridge—i (the Committee felt justified) in; adding; that " as it appears the scale of charges! at present imposed is excessive, .the! Government be re peptfully requealedj to put clause 9 of the memorandum of ! conditions into force, "with a view to i the reduction of the charges. At the; same time the • Committee would- urge ; ■upon the 1 Government the" advisability; iOtl abolishing: altogether the toll levied I on foot passengers. The Government ; opposed the adoption of this reportit f being._ urged that the • contractors s were entitled to all the profits if the ; scheme turned-out well; This point ! of view although reasonable —entirely nullifies' the conditions. The 1 conditions clearly,point .to the original intention contemplated alike by the Contractors and the A sum of money was to be advanced, for which a good ; interest was to be obtainable. As a check, however, upon undue exaction to swell- the contractors' profits at the expense of the public; the rates,were to, be regulated: from time to time as might be ; found necessary. As there is no system imposed of checking the,traffic; that actually croses the bridge, there , is: a. difficulty in arriving at ac knowledge of what the profits are. ; It is, however, a matter of notosiety that the ; proprietors are at present in receipt, of' a very good thing. It is argued " that, if-Govern-ment money is found to buy these bridges, so much less is available for constructing other, bridges: where they | are perhaps equally needed. Against this it may be said—Sooner or later the Government' will be compelled to buy up one by .one those bridges that are the most valuable. Public pressure" will'be brought to iipon'the Government of the day to buy these bridges exactly in. proportion as the increasing toll due's renders them one after another more "arid more costly to redeem. If Mr. Hazlett is right, and £SOOO. would buy the Kawarau bridge now, we may be sure that in five years time its arbitrative value will be over ■ £IO,OOO. At the same time the neces■sity for its purchase will be ; all the ,! greater. In any case tho charge on i foot' passengers should be- abolished. !! If*^as' J was "insisted''';by; the, friends, of I' the proprietors, the foot traffic is nominal, tliore ia the less reason for its be- ' ing rated. If tho rcsidonts on both

sides of the river continue to urge their ease they cannot ■ fail to obtain redress in the direction pointed out by the Committee.' ;