THE SHARON BRIDGE.

Otaki Mail, 6 March 1922, Page 4

THE SHARON BRIDGE.

FOXTON COUNCIL OBJECTS TO COST OF HOAD DEVIATION. Cr. Coley reported to last Foxton Borough'Council meeting that me conuniUee appointed by the Council, consisting ol' Cr. Bryant and himseit, had conterred with the delegates 01 other local bodies at a conlerence convened by the Manawatu County Council, at the Shannon Bridge lasi Thursday. £IOOO was required mi-

mediately, lor the road deviation, *lOl lor the protection of the bridge. !i was suggested tlijat Foxton Council pay one-eighth oi the amount. He ■ did riot think that was a very large item. The road had to he diverted 11 traffic is to he maintained, as the present road will not withstand the next flood. He thought it would he | best tor the Council to pay its share ■ as suggested, if it was legal, and Sir 3, G. Wilson tiad said that there was ) an Act to justify the payment. j Civ Bryant said that there was in j doubt that if the money was not expended .there would bo no road to Shannon after the first flood. The matter was Urgent, The Mayor said, he was a large property holder in tiie Moutoa disinc, and lie did not want anything he dm to took like self interest. He was not in favour of the Council giving a:, eighth to the Manawatu County Council for this work. He would soone. pay his share as a property ownc. in that district. The Manawatu Com. ty Council might later be colled upon to- put another span on '.tie Shannon bridge, and should there he any extension to t lre bridge the Foxton Borough Council would he debted with a portion of the expenditure. Cr. Bryant said that 1 lie Council .-> one-eighth share would he little con pared to the benefits to Foxton. l was impossible_to patch ttie stop-haul.,

and if possible, it would cost between £SOO and £IOOO to do it. The idea wo a to shift the road. Cr. Wjalker said that lie had a:, idea that tiie road had been shifted before, if some other means was no taken, possibly the road will have '■> be shifted again at some future date. He -did not consider it wise to cornnut the Council to one-eigluh, but he recognised that if was necessaty . keep the road open. It was moved by Cr. Bryant, sec

onded by Cr. Walker, that the Conn oil contribute one-eightli, as propm lion of £IOOO loan towards the Shan non road deviation. Cr. Whibley said the report of lb committee was not correct. He happened to he at tiie bridge at ttie thin of the conference. He thought dial

they should at least wait until they got something in writing from the MjanaW'atu County Council. Granting this amount for the road meant a subsequent grant for the bridge. J lie. Manawatu County Council should bear the whole cost of the road deviation, as it was their concern. The question was the protection ol tin* bridge, lie had never seen such a proposition its put at. the conlerence that day. The whole thing boiled down was a talk between Sir James Wilson'and Mr Monk. Iho rest looked on. Mr Monk had suggested /jfiii the Manawatu County Council do H,m work on their side of tiie river, and the Horowhenua County .-Council do the work on their side. Cr. Band asked it Hie Council was compelled to contribute the one eighth for road deviation. The Mayor said that they were not. Cr. Walker said that Cr. WbibJey's explanation had put quite u different aspect on tiie whole thing, and he could not now support the motion.

Cr. Coley said he would second the

| motion. He said they had been asked ' to go as a committee and bring down a report, and then they were topi mat they were misrepresenting facts, Crs. Coley and Bryant said in to lure they would not go on eonnniitees it that was the way they were v> be treated. i Cr. Whibley said that lie had been ■ misrepresented. He would put it another way. The intelligence ui the committee did not properly grip me matters discussed. Sir James w hson and Mr Monk monopolised the conference. Cr. Bryant would not admit mb' statement, which made it appear that the committee were tools. Cr. Whibley claimed that the ™i"fnittee had not grasped the points ol the proposal. Crs. Coley and Bryant reluted tinstatement. The motion, on being put, was lost, Crs, Walker, Martin, Whibley, Smim and Band voting against it.