THE BRIDGE OVER THE ORARI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2699, 16 August 1894, Page 4

THE BRIDGE OVER THE ORARI.

At the last meeting of;tbe Levels Road Board some' discussion took place about the proposed new bridge over the Orari. Mr Mee moved—“ That this board write to the County Council and ask them to take no more new work in hand until the separation of the county question is decided by Parliament,” Mr Mee spoke at some length on thd motion, condemning the County Council for undertaking to erect a bridge over the Orari, just when the question of the division of the county was being discussed in Parliament, when the Council was in debt to the bank, and the ratepayers were suffering from the greatest depression they had ever known, and the bridge was to be on a bye-road for the accommodation of a few settlers. And the work was very improperly forced through,and determinedly forced through, in the absence of two members of the Levels riding. There was no wonder that there was au outcry for the division of the county, when its management had been that of a spendthrift. Mr Pringle seconded the motion on the same grounds as Mr Mee, and added an argument from figures quoted hy / Mr Maslin in the House df Representatives, showing that the Levels district had only received £3093 while £19,800 had been spent north of the Opihi. They might have left that bridge over for a few weeks. It was not a pressing job, as it had been done without for years. Mr Maslin spoke about the policy «f bridging along the main roads, but this was not a main road. He hoped that when the tenders came in the Levels members would be present and object very strongly to the acceptance of a tender.

Mr Balfour said Mr Mee was wrong jn saying the motion was brought ou M a surprise, as it had been before the Council for a long time, with alternative of a bridge at the main road. The applicants had done more than any other district in putting their hands into their pockets and subscribing £250 to the cost. That was the main reason for deciding on that site as against tlm Other. It was a very hard thing to turn people away when they came with money in their hand like that, (Mr Campbell: You might have put them off a few weeks.—Mr Mee : That’s the kernel of the whole thing.) Mr Balfour proceeded to argue that the Council's finan m wm not »o low as had been stated, and then said the attempt to out off part of Mount Peel to jow Mackenzie County, was owing to a wish to get rid of liability for the Rangitata bridge. The figures used by Mr Muslin Wgre correct, but he made a bad use of them, bfc .summery being quite incorrect. It was very hard to flsfriap |;p help men when they came with money fu th e i r hands.

Mr Mea: I would have said, “ It’s very good of you, but we can’t do the work now-*' The Wajitohl people had quite as much right to the stock bridge they asked for. Mr Orbell said he was very sorry that he was absent from the last Council meeting, or he would have strongly opposed the motion to call for tenders. He racognjaefl what Mr Balfour said, that it was very hard to tjjfn men away who offered a third of the money, hy t under the circumstances, with a probability p£ separation taking place, *he work should have been refused. The applicant* were determined to get it through at that meeting, and that was why they sent a special deputation, for fear It would be shelved altogether if shelved for the day. Mr Orbell ran over the county’s financial position and made it out to be worse than previous speakers; if the bank overdraft was paid off there would be only £IOO to carry on everything to the end of the year. He could not but feel that advantage had been taken of the absence of two Bevels representatives. That was a sort of thing ho avoided hiinsplf, and he had got Levels business put off because northern members were nut present. Mr Campbell considered it very injudicious in tno Couniy Oounc :i when division was no likely to take place. They ought to have left work alone unt’" the result was seen.

Mr Moa’s motion was put and carried, Mr Balfour not voting.