Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Datiy Newspaper oh the West Coast. FRIDAY, JUNE 27i 1884. THE MANAWATU BRIDGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 180, 27 June 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Datiy Newspaper oh the West Coast. FRIDAY, JUNE 27i 1884. THE MANAWATU BRIDGE.

At the meeting at Ashiirst^Mr Macahthuu met the ratepayers m No. 6. Ward, with a view to putting matters on such a footing as to enable him to to take active and immediate measures for obtaining, by some means or other, a bridge over the Manawatu River. The ways ' and means brought forward by that '■ gentleman were varied and ingenious, tfiough there was only one method which he himself favored, and could really recommend to thet ratepayers. This was to raise' the required sum of money by means of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, the Government to supply the greater part of : the capital; iwhereasj by-adopting any of the other means suggested except the first, which was to get the sum m ytoto from the paternal coffers \of jthe Government, the Ward would be obliged to bear the whole of the cost themselves. The great point ;at issue, however, was . ftere the ratepayers saddling a fresh burden

on themselves by their action m sanctioning the levying of a special rate ? The existing Board could be relied on not to collect such a rate, and, while they remain m office, the danger is consequently small. The question is, can a future Board re-scind-the present pledge, and,extort ; a fresh rate ? This was repeatedly ipointedjout to the. .meeting by My Macarthur, so that no one~can say wthat he m agy way coerced the rate- ' payersanto |];he opinion which they l-ultitiiately expressed. S>till, though it was only fight that any likelydrawdrawbacks sihould be duly pointed out arid foreseen ,' it nliust be admitted that -the risk m this nominal rate is but a very, small and remote one. It should JbeW matter of cohgratula- < tion to I^o. 6, however, that they, % thfeir- bold jactictn, a bave % taken a step which, should ft prove successful, will benefit not only their * own immediate locality, but the ' whole of the Manawatu district, as also Wi)odvillo, and, better still, the whole colony. Nothing can have - been^more deterihig to the prosperity of the central portion of "tEe North Island, than the gap which at present exjsts on the main road m the shape of the unbridged. Manawatu JRiyer;, and np f step .cpul4 ; be. mpre: in> the right direction than that which Mr Macarthuß' has just taken, m obtaining permission to apply for a grant of money remove it. With the possibility of ) Mr Mac Arthur's v being returned to the- House of Representatives, which is now ; almost 1 assured, •■ ; there .is every reason to hope thatntheapplication, under his careful guardiansship, will achieve the most satisfactory results. J