BRIDGE OVER THE MANAWATU.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 63, 6 August 1879, Page 2

BRIDGE OVER THE MANAWATU.

Our Woodville friends must b> accredited with the possession of that most laudable dogged, perseverance which invariably commands success. Coder] the old Provincial institutions the Government 'promised the construction of a bridge across the Manawatu at the Lower Ferry, and there oan not be the least doubt that were it, not for the abolition of the Provinces the structure would now be m existence. However, when the Constitution was altared the responsibility of the maintenance and erection of all necessary roads and bridges devolved ~upSn~ the various County Councils, without those bodies receiving any accumulated funds to carry oat the promises made or the works commenced. The burden thus relegated to the Counties, has, m most cases, proved a most trying one, while m some instances the Weight imposed was so excessive as to make the fulfilment of the responsibilities simply an impossibility. = Take for the, case of the -Manawatu County,- which compared to most other portions of the Colony was until of rtcent years comparatively, unknown, and as a cpnse- , que nee uncared and unprovided , fori. l A few years before the abolition of 'the Frcvinces, settlement was only beginning to take place m the upper district, and just as the .arose for the formation of roads and the construction of bridges, the revenue f ronj which such money should come was swept away, and this County left with no other resources than wer© at the command of old established counties, whose roads and bridges had been constructed out of the general revenue of the ; Province. Such a repudiation of admitted claims by the General Government .was a most unjust proceeding, and has 1 of; course acted as a millstone or a dragtupo.n thisoounty to retard its'progress.'and actually impede the legitimate traffic, which would otherwise find.its way.into it. But it is not only upon -Manawatu that its ' ill : efEe'cts is experienced, the want of proper roadway to join connection with Hawkes Bay has long been a grievance with, the people of Woodville, who although hitherto unfortunately with no success, have still persistently and causistentlv urged upon the Government the fulfilment of the long made promise w4th regard to the Manawatu Bridge. At the meeting of the r Eoad Board, held on Friday, the matter was discussed ac some length and with a oonsiderablg earnestness, all the, members beiny fally, alive to the paramount uecessitt which existed for. some very stringent measures being taken to remedy an cvi which was militating against the progress of the. settlement. A deputation was appointed to wait-upon the member for the district, and obtain from him a pledge that he would use his most earnest endeavors with the Government to have tardy justice done to the settlement] Sucli a course is entitled to commemdation, and we think that the* . step is one which might be materially aided by the residents m the other, portion of .this country,, and one m which they are just "as 'vitally interested^ as ■their neighbors m Woodville. Although that town is within the boundaries of Hawkes Bay, its isolation from any other toVnship m that Provincial District,, and its contiguity to Palmerston, makes the interests of the two places m some measure identical, inasmuch as Palmerston isthe place with which it is most associated, and consequently whatever tends to lessen the difficulty m trayellirig from one to the other, must necessarily prove of benefit to both. We understand that at the meeting of ,the Road Board alluded to, it was also resolved that overtures would be made to both Palmerston and Feilding m order to^ get the residents to endorse and join the movement, so that by strong concerted action and the twp representatives m Parliament, the greater pressure shauld be brought to bear. There can be . UP question about the wisdom of such a proceeding, and. the fact that telegraphic communication-^which is at present being put into operation between the two places— was^ the result of a meeting and agitation at Palmerston, leadnns to hope that after all success and victory may crown- their united efforts. I