LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 341, 30 April 1863, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Newtonlecs Farm, April 21st, 1803. Sir, —Lately I liave had very confused'and conllicting ideas concerning the public roads in Wanganui; consequently, I should like to ask a few questions concerning the same through your paper. I believe that when the districts were first laid off in sections by the New Zealand Company, there were roads laid off in every direction, so as to facilitate a direct communication to each and every section. From these facts, I should suppose that all these roads that so intersect the country were public property, jf go —l u ,w will those public roads (and consequently public properties) stand in cases where private parties have purchased, say, from two to thirty of these sections, and enclosed the same with p« ring fence, -probably leaving but one road, and perhaps in some cases not one, through t]to whole ? Am I to understand tlist

tlie purchase of so much land warrants tlie doing away with those roads? or, are they only enclosed for the time being ? Again, may I ask, is there any constituted power to authorise tlm closing of public roads ? , Sir,' if you, or any of your subscribers, can set me at case on this subject you will greatly oblige. lam afraid, in a few years, \ve shall not be aide to get across the country at all — either on business, pleasure, or for any other purp' si—without having recourse to very long roundabout lines of roads. It is this‘’difficulty 1 should wish to obviate! By tlie'bye, I fancy it is a very good time to sift this question, especially when public attention is likely to be called to the wholesale giving away of so much of the public property’ as that contained in the Industrial School Grant in the town of Wanganui. • l ain, sir, yours, .&c. John Morgan. P.’S.—l believe there is a gentleman in Wanganui who lias a letter in his possession which would furnish good information on this subject, if lie will only be so obliging as to answer my questions. . J. M. April 23rd. Sir, —Observing in your last number that, in ■ iblie discussion of the Bridge, question,, one gentleman recommends the adoption., of. a certain design, which he says he can procure gratis if desired, I am induced to ask you for a'general statement of the present position of the Bridge fund, and the reasons alleged for the. non-com-pletion of the structure. A vast amount of doubt appears to exist on this subject, and I have entirely failed in obtaining undisputed information.: One gentleman (not a Government supporter either) told me a few days since, that the* Government merely hold the monies in hand until the Wanganui folks provide for their share of the undertaking. If this be so, it is simply absurd for us to be calling on Hercules while we refuse to put our-own shoulder to the wheel. But other people say that the delay arises neither from lack of money, nor political dodgery, hut that the Province of Wellington does not contain an engineer capable of designing a bridge fit to stand .tbe occasional heavy floods of tlie Wanganui. How is this known to be the case? Has the Government ever asked for designs from the Provincial Engineer, or is it mercifully tender about still further overburdening that much enduring officer ? But if the Provincial Eugineer has not tiinc, and there is no other man in this province, capable of designing bridges for this awful torrent, why not throw the thing open to competition ? Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, and even poor Taranaki, have done this 'ately with their Provincial works. Surely, New Zealand could furnish a man of sufficiently powerful genius to bridge a river, which, important as it is to us, a Yankee would call “a tarnation mill-run.” But at the risk of incurring contrast with the mighty intellect which I have yet to see brought to bear on the construction of a permanent bridge, let me suggest the ancient expedient of a bridge of boats, or (better) a pontoon bridge. Either of these .would, cost far less than the £9OOO mentioned by the gratis gentleman the other day, and if my notion he worth anything I, imitating his generosity, will give it you for nothing. ■ Now, the great points of. importance m the construction of a permanent timber or stone bridge are vertical and lateral strength and convenient waterway. A pontoon or boat bridge may be made equal iii the two former, while it must always be superior in the latter point—because tlie water can pass, not only between, but also under the boats. A permanent bridge will necssai-ily stop all navigation above, unless provided with draw, swing, or lift bridge for the passage of vessels ; and it should he remembered that any break of this kind in the length of a fixed bridge always materially weakens it. Now, to give up tlie navigation of the whole Wanganui for the sake of a bridge for tlie town is scarcely to be thought of. ■ From what little I know of the river I hope rather, before long, to go home of au evening by steamboat, and as soon as the said steamboat begins to ply I mean to live somewhere up at Parakino. Now, it will be very awkward if, when I and my neighbours send down our sheep and cattle and flour and wool, we arc compelled to unload it on one side of tlie bridge, and cart it round to the other for shipment in the sea-going vessels. Therefore 1 feel that I speak one word for the pockets of tlie townsfolk, and two for the convenience of myself, when 1 suggest a kind of bridge that offers no impediment to navigation.

But, about these awful floods which people fear would carry away their long-wished for means of. getting over the water. Arc they (the floods, not the people) really bad enough to destroy a fixed bridge ? or is it the snags that are to do the mischief ? or is the damage imaginary ? Without pretending to decide the question, let me show the superiority of my boat bridge. Suppose one of these awful floods, also a fierce northerly gale, likewise any quantity of rubbish and snags brought to bear on my boat bridge. Timorous citizen of Wanganui stands on west side of centre of bridge ; timorous inhabitant of what’s-a-name town stands on other side of centre—each with his hand on a little iron trigger. Presently a totara log 200 feet long makes its appearance carries away the piles of the old abandoned bridge—and evidently intends to chaw up the bridge of boats. Timorous Wanganui man ami timorous what’s-a-name-town man shake hands for a parting good bye, pull tlieir respective triggers, and in a few seconds find themselves each on his own side of the river, with the two halves of the bridge lying comfortably in the slack water along the two banks. Next day the fresh has subsided, and, with tlie first of the flood tide, the bridge is swung back to its old bortli, not a jot the worse for a flood that, according to popular belief, would have destroyed, or at least severely strained, a fixed bridge. If my bantling find favour in tlie eyes of my follow-townsmen I’ll say more about it another time. You know, Mr. Editor, “every crow thinks its own chick a white one.” For the present, I remain, sir, Your obedient servant, Pontoon.

: April 23, 1863. Sir, —If, through your columns, I answer a letter signed by Mr. Field, it must not be therefore supposed I have any intention of entering into any correspondence with that ‘gentleman. My answer is to the River-hank settlers, against whom I have no grudge of four years’ standing, and whoso opposition I have no wish to encounter ; on the contrary, I would wish on my return to meet my constituents, and render. to them a full account of my stewardship, receiving, perhaps, according to Mr. Field, a vote of censure for my conduct. - But, sir, I have other constituents besides Mr. Field, and it is the interest of the public I attend to, not the interest of a small portion of the community. I desire, sir, above all things, to see public money spent in developing the internal resources of the country, which can only be done by the construction of roads and bridges. That is the only means that lies in our power of increasing the wealth and resources of the Province. " It is as a representative of country districts 1 take my seat in the Provincial Council. Grants given in aid are given as an inducement to country settlers to tax themselves, and take upon themselves the management of their, local roads. Given injudiciously, they would have the ■ opposite tendency—they would encourage settlers to refuse a rate. I heard nothing from Mr. Field at the meetiug, nor do I see anything in his letter, that induces me to change my opinions. If incorrect, I am sorry the River-bank settlers chose so poor a champion. But I think, on. inquiry, they might discover Mr. Field’s statements are not

quite coircct ; and if the bridges erected called so loudly for a vote of censure on the wardens, Mr. Field will lie able to give them the name of the individual employed. Finally, sir - , lam willing to meet the Riverbank’ settlers or my constituents at any time, but I totally decline 1 a controversy in the papers with Mr. Field. 1 have tbe honour to be sir, Your obdt. servant, ’.a,’ r l . James D, llewett.