SEVENTY MILE BUSH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5693, 28 June 1879, Page 3

SEVENTY MILE BUSH.

The following ia the correspondence referred to in our issue yesterday which was read at the deputation to Ministers : , Longwood, Featherston, June 23rd, 1877.

Sib, — I have the honor to forward for your information enclosed copy of estimate made by the County Engineer, under my instructions, of the probable cost for the ensuing year of maintenance of the road from Opaki to Manawatu river, amounting in all to £11,563. In doing so it is so obvious as to be hardly necessary for me to point out that the amount required is far in excess of any sum which this County can possibly spare for the purpose. The County subsidy for the ensuing year will only amount to £2674, out of which the maintenance of the main road from Featherston to , Opaki, a distance of about thirty-five miles, including a bridge near Grey town, estimated to cost £IOOO, has to be provided for ; so that obviously very little can be left for the Opaki to Manawatu ,road. This County has not declared any portion of the main road from Featherston to Manawatu a County road, consequently under section 81 of the Public Works Act, 1876, the control of the various • portions is vested in the Highway Boards of the districts in which they are situated, and the County distributes among those Boards the whole of the subsidy received by it, for expenditure on the main road alone. It will be clear from this explanation that the whole of the Government subsidy is expended on the main line, and that in the most advantageous manner possible, as the various Boards can exercise a better supervision than anyone body could do. This being the case, nothing can be gained should the Government think proper to exercise its power of carrying on the works, and retaining the County subsidy in payment. I would therefore respectfully urge upon you the absolute necessity for making some special provision for meeting the estimated expenditure of £11,663, as, if this is not done, the inevitable alternative is that the road within a few weeks will become impassable. As a proof that this danger is not an imaginary one, I may mention the fact that I have only within the last few hours received a telegram from the County Engineer informing me that one of the bridges has fallen down. I have in this case instructed him to rebuild at once, so as to keep the road open for traffic; but directly another bridge gives way, nothing can be done in the matter by the County. Recognising, as I do, the absolute necessity which exists for throwing upon local bodies the cost of local works so far as is practicable, I would not make this application were it possible in any way for the County to meet the expenditure. The fact that it cannot be done, whatever effort and sacrifices might be made, renders it my duty to lay the facts before yon in anticipation of the estimates for the ensuing year being passed, so that the Government may decide whether a sufficient sum for that purpose can be provided, or whether a road which was constructed, and is used for colonial rather than local purposes, shall be allowed to become impassable. Had the bridges on this line been constructed’ of proper material, it is possible the progress of settlement by increasing the rates derivable from the district might have been such as to enable the Board to replace them as

they become worn out, but the material used having been of the worst possible description, they could only be considered as temporary structures, and therefore the road can hardly be said to have been properly finished. It appears to me that this fact makes this an exceptional case, and therefore that a sum might be voted for properly completing the work without violating the principle which has been laid down, by which the Government refuse to provide for local works. I shall be obliged by your early attention to this question, as, unless some arrangement is made, traffic on the road may in all probability be entirely stopped within a month.—l am, he., Charles Phabazyn, Chairman W.W.C. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works, W ellington.

County Offices, Masterton, June 20, 1879.

SlB, — I have the honor to submit the following brief report on the bridges of the main road from Opaki to the Manawatu river. Most of these bridges are built of rimu, a large proportion of which is of sapwood. Many of the piles are squared saplings, and these are in most cases quite rotten. A few of the bridges are built of matai and totara. They are in a much better condition, and with slight repairs will probably be serviceable for four or five more years.' Several of the bridges are in an extremely dangerous condition, the weight of the embankments behind the piers has broken off the piles close to the ground, and burst the, wing-walls away from the piers. The road is as yet open, hut I think it highly probable that several of these bridges will fail during the present winter. I append an estimate of the cost of substituting i bridges of heart wood of totara, and wrought iron for those that are built of rimu, and of repairing those that are in a sounder condition, also an estimate of the cost of maintaining the main road from Opaki to Manawatu for twelve months.—l am &c., .. John King, County Engineer. The Chairman of the Wairarapa West County Council. Total costs of repairing and rebuilding £8,023 Cost of earthworks, engineering expenses, &c. ... ... 1,622 Cost of maintaining main road fromOpake to Manawatu River for 12 months ... ... 1,918 Total £11,663