Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1908. PIAKO COUNTY BRIDGE LOANS

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43322, 7 May 1908, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News.

THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1908. PIAKO COUNTY BRIDGE LOANS

This above, all—to thine own self be true , And tt must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

The proposal of the Piako County Council to raise £6,500 for the reconstruction of bridges in the Waitoa and Te Aroha Ridings, is without question a step in the right direction, the arguments in its favour are legion, and very few —if any—objections can be raised 'against it. The way g that this county has advanced within the last few years is simply marvellous, and the finances of the County have been subjected to the severest test, and it would appear that unless more money is forthcoming, either by taxation by means of striking a higher rate, or by raising a loan for the purpose of reconstructing all the bridges within the ridings mentioned, the works will have to be suspended for some time, to allow the finances to recuperate—a most drastic measure. To do the latter would not be advisable, as eventually it would take more to put the roads in repair than would ultimately be saved by such suspension of works. We venture the opinion that very few ratepayers would sanction the county works standing over for even one month. The County was put to enormous expense as a result of the record flood of last January twelve months, which swept all the largest bridges away, besides which I;he old structures that have been doing service' for the last 25 or 30 years, received such a severe straining that it is found imperative that they must be renewed within the next few years, and some are already awaiting immediate erection. The old bridges which are to be replaced have seen their best days, and are totally unfit to fulfil the requirements, and must be replaced with structures that have a carrying capacity of from 14 to 20 tpns, and should be raised up from 3 to 8 feet above the level of the old ones. The bridges, in most cases, must be of longer spans, as it has been proved again and again that it is far cheaper to build an extra span on to abridge than to maintain sheathing timbers at either end. To carry out this work will entail heavy expenditure; but they will also allow of such iheavy traffic as traction engines to pass safely over them, and there is no doubt that this alone would be a great boon to the, settlers in saving them the haulage of either the chaficutter or engine from farm to farm. Such bridges as these should last for at least 30 or 35 years if built of red heart of Totara or hardwoods, and taking this into consideration, the question purports itself thus, “ Why should the present ratepayer be called upon to pay larger rates to pay for structures that are going to last for the next 30 years, and pay at the rate of 5 to 6 per cent, for an overdraft to carry on the works with ?” The answer is soon found, when the cost to each respective riding is an annual rate of 1-loth and l-6th of a penny for a period of 32 years, which will pay off both principle and interest of the proposed loans. The money can be procured from the Government at 4 or 4£ per cent, and surely this must be the right step to take. Most of the adjoining local bodies are borrowing at as fast a rate as possible, and there is no telling when a turn in tide of prosperity may come, and those bodies that have feathered their nests and got good roads and bridges will then have the laugh of this county. It would appear that if these loans are carried there is every prospect of the present rate being maintained, and perhaps within the next two or three years reduced. The bridges already built to the order of the Government Engineer are without doubt fine strong ones, and are a good sound line to follow when building new ones, but such structures cannot be built out of the ordinary rates, if the roads are to be kept in proper order. The ratepayers in the- two ridings where the proposed loans are to be raised will, in the near future,

be called upon to record their rates for or against the proposal, and it appears to be to their interest to cast their votes in favour of the loans.