TURANGANUI BRIDGE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 243, 24 September 1884, Page 2

TURANGANUI BRIDGE.

At the meeting of the Council last evening, the following letter was read from the Cook County Council :— Sir, —I have the honor, by direction of this Council, to state that they have noticed that your Council have entered into a contract for the completion of the Turanganui Bridge without first being assurred that the £l,OOO to be obtained through the medium of this Council was, beyond doubt, available for the work. I am, therefore, to inform you that no reply has yet been received from the Government in reference to this Council’s application for that £lOOO. If by any change in the Roads and Bridges Construction Act by the present Parliament that money should not be granted to this Council they will not be able to supply the money upon which you have relied for the completion of the bridge.— I have, <fec., John Warren, County Clerk. His Worship thought the communication uncalled for as the Borough Council did not expect them to give £250 unless obtained on the terms stated. He might state that when in Wellington as one of the delegates, he, Mr. Chambers and Mr. Locke interviewed the Under-Secretary of Public Works relative to the application from Cook County to supplement the construction of the Turanganui Bridge by £lOOO under the Roads and Bridges Act. It was found that the application was mixed up with a total amount applied for by Cook County of over £9OOO. The Undersecretary stated it was almost impossible to vote anything further under this Act for the present year, and that probably the Act would be repealed. He advised special reference of the claim to the Premier, Mr. Stout. After this Mr. Stout was consulted, who promised to deal with the application as a special one, and do his utmost to get the sum granted, either as a vote on Roads and Bridges, or as a special one from Puolic Works, should the Act be repealed this session. Just before leaving Wellington His Worship again saw the Premier in the lobby of the House, who assured him that the money would be forthcoming from either of the sources mentioned, and dealt with as a special case. His Worship informed the Premier that the work was in progress, and that if the contract was broken it would cost a large sum to do it. Cr. Townley said it was surprising such a letter should have been sent by the Cook County Council. It was on a par with a letter which recently appeared in print. The Council never hinted such a thing when himself and Cr. Lewis were before them. It seems to him some persons were raking up the subject with ulterior motives. He would suggest that they inform the County Council that a tender had been accepted, and they would get timely notice as to when the £250 was required. Cr. Graham suggested that the matter be left over until the report of the Conference on Tuesday evening next. This course was agreed to.