“SPRAGING THE WHEEL.”

Shannon News, 15 September 1925, Page 3

“SPRAGING THE WHEEL.”

COUNTY CHAIRMAN AND parliamentary petition. CONTRIBUTIONS Tp SHANNON BRIDGE.' The Shannon Bridge and recent developments in connection therewith bulked large at Saturday’s meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, the chairman of which made a strong protest against the Parliamentary Committee considering the recent, Shannon petition without giving the County Council an opportunity of bein** heard. Several letters relating to°the Bridge were also before the meeting. , , In connection with the proposed new site of the bridge on the FoxtonSiiannon highway, the chairman ox the NO’. ‘J District Highways Council wrote stating that as this site is not on a main highway the County had j previously been advised that it snouiu take the necessary steps to settle the question of allocating the cost to be paid by the various local bodies interested, as this procedure would enable the controlling authority to obtain a contribution from tire Boroughs. If the road to the new site was declared a main highway it would not lie possible to obtain such a contribution, but when the new bridge is completed it may be quite possible that the Main Highways Board will recommend the classifying of the road as a main highway in place of the present route. The Manawatu County Council enclosed a copy of their letter to the chairman of the Highways Beard, in which it emphasised the importance of the road being declared a main highway and supported the contention of the Horowhenua County Council in this respect and also endorsed this County’s action in requesting tire Highways Board to undertake the work, pointing out that the means, both ’as to design, inspection told ability to carry it out, at the disposal of the Board are much in advance of the local bodies interested. The chairman' (Mr G. A. Monk) said the Horowhenua County Council had had a good deal of blame that it was not entitled to for holding up the bridge. Every step the Council took seemed to be thwarted by some unexpected hindrance. He had interviewed Mr Furkert, Engineer-iri-Chief, and was assured that if they made application to the Highways Board, they would declare the road to the new bridge a main highway, which they had power to do under the Act, before a survey was made. Once this declaration was made a subsidy could be drawn. But how could sulch an application be made when these other bodies had not agreed to the new site. The only other way was for them to proceed under the Public Works Act and ask for a commission to allocate' the cost to the various local bodies interested. If they did that it meant that the whole of the oast would fall on the local bodies and it was absolutely impossible for them to hear it. irrtvr . ii COUNTY COUNCIL SLIGHTED. It must he made perfectly clear that the County was not going to fake a survey and prepare plans and specifications if the whole cost was toi tall on the local bodies. The bridge would benefit, the Highways Board as « would be the connecting link between two main highways. Mr Furkert had asked him to make application to the Board, but they could not do! that while the ShaimOn people were petitioning Parliament, and the Public Petitions Committee had had evidence toven by residents of Shannon in connection with the re-erection of the bridge. One member of Parliament who represented a Wellington seal and noit that particular part of the district, had made a statement wliei ein he stated that the Council had spent £2OOO on a. punt and that £4OOO would have re-erected the old bridge. “Good gracious me!” exclamed the chairman, “this is the sort of stuff that someone has filled the member up with. llud that £4OOO hcGu spout it would ’have been swept away by the next flood. Evidence of this was not given. We were not invited to go down and appear before the Committee, even though we were en titled to, defend our position. When we have other local bodies endeavourin cr to get behind us in that way, it Is Tmpossible to make any progress. It seems as though every time we move a sprag is putt into) our wheel. I resent these back-stabbing methods resent them very much ’’ If the legislation suggested by the recent conference of highways boards went on the Statute Book the various local bodies were going t iqsave'several thousand pounds. This was not taken into consideration at all, bu|t they had instead these pin-prickings in the hack. The legislation would take control fiO' the local bodies and place it in toe hands of the Main Highways Loan!. The chairman said he resented toe evidence that was given in Wellington and the fact that the County was not given an opportunity of being heard. He noticed from the report in the local paper that the Shannon deputation was very well received'. Of course they were. It was getting near the election. He regarded the action taken as a direct slight on the controlling local' authority and it did not bring a solution any closer, Wc are not going to selves lot into a liability ol £20,000 unless we have some assurance that u-e are going to get these other contributions.” The chairman suggested leaving the matter m his hands to take up with Mr Furkert, the Eingm-eer-in-Chief. _. T rmir , PUTTING THE ONUS ON THE COUNTY. Cr. Harkness said the onus could not be thrown on the County,, which had moved as expeditiously as possible, but the Public Works Department had not looked on the matter with the urgency they should have done. They had adopted a TaihOa policy and the Council had to wait for the result of that. “Side-stepping and red-tape’’ was responsible for the delag*r. Barber suggested that, to hurry the thing on, the two County Councils

get a survey made in an endeavour to force the hand of the Highways Board.. The quota paid by the two Borough Councils would be / very small to the cost of such a survey. In justice to the ratepayers of both counties he felt something should be done in that direction.

The Chairman: Supposing we get tlic survey and find that the whole thing is taken out of our hands. If we can get the Main Highways Board to declare the road to the new bridge a main highway, the Board would carry, out the survey. Cr. Barber said that method was too' slow*

The chairman said they might make these arrangements and then find that their work had been nullified by political pressure. Cr. rlarkness said it seemed to him that the other local bodies were seeking to put the responsibility for the plans and bridge on to the Horowhenua County Council. The Chairman: Well, they are not going to do it until we know whether they are willing to pay their shares.

Cr. Barber said the leading citizens of Shannon were in favour of a new bridge. Cr. Whyte*,said that at the last inspection there wore FOxton, Shannon and Manawatu representatives present and they were all agreed on a bridge on toe new site. The Charman; Yet in the meantime .Shannon is petitioning Parliament. If vou read vesterday’s local paper you will see wliat class of evidence was given. The chairman added that they might have to await the action taken by the Government on the report of this —Parliamentary Committee. Cr. Barber: When will tlpat be presented.

The Chairman; Perhaps next session. In the course, of further desultory consideration, the chairman said that if the Shannon and Foxton Boroughs would come in and say they would contribute their quota, the road to the new bridge could be declared a main highway. Would they do) that. Cr. Barber thought they would agree to that. The Chairman a,sked whether they would give the Council that assurance in writing. Cr. Barber did not know whether they would bind themselves to that extent.

The Chairman: Ah ! There you are ! When we get down to tin tacks there is nothing definite. The chairman added that he had no objection to* the matter being referred to these Borough Councils. The Engineer stdd the estimated cost of the bridge end approaches was £20,000. Cr. Broadbelt thereupon moved: “The Foxton and Shannon Boroughs be written to and asked if their boroughs would voluntarily contribute toward the cost of the new bridge over the Manawatu River, in conjunction with Horowhenua _ and Manawatu County Councils with a view to having the road and ’bridge declared a main highway and contributed to as per statute of the Mam Highways Bill. Also' tiie chairman to press the question of the bridge and road deviation with, the Highways Department.” Cr. Barber did not think the Boroughs should be saddled with the cost of the approaches to’ the Bridge, and it was agreed to confine the suggested contributions to the Bridge. The motion was then put and carried. IMPROVING .THE PUNT.

Whitanui, Ltd., called attention to the inadequate means of transit at present existing at the one-time Shannon Bridge, which Was causing hardship to "the company’s employees who, frequently on .arriving at the Shannon side of the river, find there is no means of crossing. As a remedy the company suggested re-erec-tion of the old cable crossing the river, which was found, in the past, to he the most satisfactory means of crossing. As an alternative the provision of an additional boat was suggested.—Left in the hands of Cr. Barber and the Engineer.