WAIPUKU BRIDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 6 July 1910, Page 7

WAIPUKU BRIDGE.

QUESTION OP CONTROL. The Taranaki County Council on Monday approved, the letter forwarded by the chairman to the Public Works Department in answer to representations made by the Stratford County Council on the question of control of the Wai-' puku boundary bridge. The committee set out that it employed a highly qualified engineer to superintend their bridgebuildings, under whose supervision some twelve or thirteen reinforced concrete bridges had been constructed at a cost of over £12,{)00. The bridge had been erected jointly by the Stratford jand Taranaki County Councils. The Council had done all in its power to prevent corrosion, and the Stratford Council had paid half-cost without complaining in regard to the manner in which the work was carried out. [Railway Department engineers had informed the chairman that the only way of preventing the corrosion of steel bridges was by this process of chipping aiul painting. This Council had done their best to maintain this bridge in every way possible, and although having agreed to re-consii-uci in reinforced concrete, and they w„ere of the opinion that it would be a scandalous waste of public funds to dismantle this steel structure at present. "This bridge is good enough for all traffic, except extraordinarily large traction engines, for many years, and a suitable ford can be constructed, if necessary, on the lower side of the bridge to accommodate those extraordinarily large traction engines weighing fifteen tons, for this Council is very doubtful if there is a traction engine weighing fifteen tons in the whole of the North Island The greatly danger of collapse referred to by the Stratford County Council is raised purely to justify their action in trying to assume control of the bridge, and their argument that a. traction engine weighing fifteen tons would cross at considerable list is not in my.Council's opinion sufficient reason why a structure suitable for a number of years should be dismantled and a fresh bridge erected. If this contention were upheld the whole of tlie counties throughout the Dominion would immediately have to start renewing its bridges for probable traction engine traffic. This is impossible and un- ! reasonable. This Council desire to retain I control of the bridge, and would respectfully request the Hon. Minister to vest centre! of the bridge in this Council under section 120 of the Public Works act, 1908, and they will undertake to carry out the maintenance and renewals as in the past economically and faithfully, and in everv way conserve the interests of the ratepayers of the Stratford and Taranaki counties alike." Mr. Tate said he had inspected the bridge himself, and was .satisfied it was good for years. He. had spoken to Mr. Johnston, of Waitara, that day, and had said that quite recently he had taken his traction engine over the bridge twice, and it weighed 14 tons. Mr. Johnston had stated, too, that .he wag prepared to go over it with the heaviest engine in the district, for it had not given at all under the weight of his engine. Cr. Carter remarked that either the engineers did not know what they were talking about, or else Mr. Johnston had made a mistake. He was, hovvfever, quite prepared to accept the statements of Cr. Tate and Mr. Johnston against the dicta of the engineers, who declared the bridge must be renewed, and that it was waste of money to spend anything upon it at all. ! " The chairman was empowered to have the Council represented before Mr. G. T. Murray, who had been appointed a commission to enquire into the question of control of the bridge.