THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1910. THE NORTHERN APPROACH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9717, 12 February 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1910. THE NORTHERN APPROACH.

In this morning's issue we publish an interesting letter from Mr Donald Donald on "the northern approach" question. It is years ago since the taking of action in regard to very necessary work in the locality mentioned was first mooted, and the delay that has transpired is certainly not to the credit of those who might have facilitated the undertaking. A position, that is certainly satisfactory in one respect has at last been arrived at, viz., it has been resolved that an improvement shall be effected, but the next important question that now crops up is, how shall the work be done? It is this aspect of the situation that Mr Donald deals with, and he says: "If the I ratepayers want this work done in an up-to-date and creditable manner let them take action at once, before any of their funds are wasted; better that tbe work were indefinitely postj poned than have an inferior job." i Mr Donald bases his contention upon ! the fact that he has in his possession a plan and estimate prepared by a lending engineer. The plan in question provides for one bridge only, and for diverting the whole of the water into one stream, while the cost of : carrying out the plan, it is said, I would be less than the sum which | it is believed will be expended on ; the two proposed bridges. The single bridge would be reinforced concrete, and while beir.p, practically, of an ever!"-ting ehni'.icter,would present a mui b*'ijetiur appearance than wooden struc-t'iroF. Th n ■ pirion of a layman is, if (.'r-iir-te of ;io value in purely on i • k fi ■ q r s' ions, but it is ] ob '"> s i •-■ "• ne that a single i i'i£ U.e water into ' one stream, and at a cost less than the construction of two bridges would , '■) -rj '■ Mtm\ s of the pre- 1

posed improvement of the norther approach that it would be extremely desirable to secure, assuming, of course, that they can be done so easily as is stated by our correspondent. For our own part we consider that Mr Donald's letter calls for very careful consideration. There need be no unnecessary hurry in pushing on with the improvement of the northern gpprosch. So many years have bean allowed to elapse in regard to a work of crying urgency that a few weeks more might very well be spent in determining what is absolutely the best plan to adopt in regard to carrying out the work. It ptands to reason that those I who have to pay for the work wish j that what will prove the most satis- \ factory plan to be adopted, provided ] the cost is not unreasonable. We have no desire to figure as being possessed of a contentious spirit, nor do we pretend to express an opinion upon a matter that is entirelly within the province of engineering ability, but we do say that, in our opinion, no local body, or bodies, would be justified in brushing aside the considered statement made by Mr Donald, without making a careful investigation into the merits of the plan to which he refers.