THE TARATA BRIDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 204, 2 October 1909, Page 6

THE TARATA BRIDGE.

SOME TALK AJiuUT TI.UIiEU. At the Clifton County Council yesterday, a letter was lead lrom the iaranaki County Couicil enclosing copy of a. resoJution to the elleet that ihe Council willed the timber from the Old lamia iiimge to lie sold by auction ami me prututiis shared. Lite council discussed the matter in au irregular fashion. It transpired that ilie engineer, Mr. Dowsett, had already used about half the timber ill repairing bridges on the side roads. llie engineer said he would like authority to make an oiler of, say, 10s per 100 feet for the balance. The chairman said the Taranaki Council had passed a resolution in favor of adopting a certain course. They had a perfect right to make the request, and tlie Clifton Council should accede to it. It was rather unfortunate that the engineer should have used any of this timber before tlie two Councils had come to an arrangement on the matter. Several councillors were of opinion that the engineer had been perfectly within its rights in taking the Council s half of the timber.

Olle member raUcd the point that the Taranaki Council might protest that the be>t. of the timber had already been taken.

The engineer said that any dill'ercnce was hardly worth considering.

The councillors then entered into a wordy argument on Ihe matter, live or six of them talking at onee. bventuaily attention was locussed on the chairman and Councillor Julian, whose dialogue was prompled by Councillor Julian's remark lo him, " Von hob-nob with other councils, and they convert you. Mr. Brown has got you under the whip. There's no use saving anything else; whatever Mr. Brown savs, ,\o.i s'cem Lo agree to."

The chairman: Mr, Brown has m-.ver said a word to me about it. Councillor Julian '• reckoned" tlie engineer was quite justified in taking the Council's share of the timber, and there was no reason why he should be "jumped on" in this way. Tlie chairman: There i* no question of jumping on the engineer.

Councillor Julian: But you do. You get on your stilts for nothing. The chairman: Very well, that is your opinion. I say the Taranaki County Council had a perfect right to be credited with half this timber, and before any of it was 1 removed they should liave been consulted. Councillor Julian: Nobody says they haven't a right to half the timber.

The chairman: This timber should not have been taken before the Taranaki County Council had been consulted.

After further disjointed discussion on the matter the Council decided to inform the Taranaki County Council that this Council has use for half the timber, and that, the Taranaki County Council are at liberty to auction the remaining half if so desired.