The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1884. THE WAIPOUA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1796, 24 September 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1884. THE WAIPOUA.

for bridging the Waipoua. It has in the past misfortune that three local bodies which possess a community of interests have worked against each other instead of pulling together, We do not desire to refer to old differences between the Borough and the County and the Borough and the Road Board, and last, but not least, between the Road Board'and the County, except to express a hope that in the interests of' the public and in the face of recent disasters which have affected all three bodies a policy of co-operation and conciliation will be adopted, Our present Mayor, Mr Lowes, is eminently fitted by his well-known tact and ability to to initiate a new departure of the character which we have indicated, A good understanding between the three local bodies at the present juncture will be a great assistance not only in repairing the effects of the late disastrous flood, but also in taking steps to prevent the future recurrence of the danger,

It is satisfactory to find that the Masterton Borough Council are taking an interest in the Waipoua question, The bridging of this stream is as important to the town as it is to the country, and the three weeks'delay which has already taken place in repairing the disaster caused by the late flood is inexcusable. Traffic has been impeded in and out of Masterton by both the north and south arterial roads, but though it is very desirable to re-bridge the Wainguwa at as early a date as possible, the necessity of spanning the Waipoua is much more urgent, and it is a great pity that this special urgency has not been recognised by the County. It is evident that while the traffic to the south of Masterton depends mainly upon the railway, the traffic to the north of the town depends solely and entirely upon the road which is crossed by the Waipoua, Looking at the extent of the traffic on the latter, and the fact that the busiest time of the year for carriers is close at band, there ought not to have been au hour's delay in restoring efficient communication between a town containing apopulation of 3,000 souls, and country districts in which a still greater number of persons reside. It is absurd to allow the question of ways and means to stop the expenditure of the £SOO supposed to bo necessary to restore communication. No one can doubt that the work must bo done, and there is no reason we can see why it should not bo done first and the question of ways discussed afterwards. This was the course taken some four years ago when a somewhat similar difficulty arose, and we fail to see why it should not be j&gain adopted. We look upon the 'action taken by the Borough Council as a step in the right direction. Had the borough four years ago cultivated friendly relations with the county it is very possible that better permanent arrangements might have been made