The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1886. FLOOD DAMAGES TO ROADS AND BRIDGES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2323, 17 June 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1886. FLOOD DAMAGES TO ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The other day a Wairarapa deputation suggested to th« Government that an insurance fund should be established to provide means for repairing damage to bridges by floods. No doubt local bodies are occasionally placed in s very awkward position when some consider rftbie structure is swept away or partially destroyed by a high flood In this district, at any rate, our Counties and Road Boards are always poor, aiad their rates lire usually absorbed to the last farthing by ordinary charges, and when they are called upon to face extraordinary expenditure they are ill prepared to meet it, Still, we scarcely think that the suggestion of an insurance .fund for flood damages wtyild be a wise expedient. The adoption of such a principle might have a tendency to encourage careless engineering, or force engineers to relax those precautionary measure which are essential to the durability of anew bridge, Forexamplp an engineer might say that a thousand pounds was necessary .for a speoifio work and the local bony might reply we can only spare you eight, hundred. If the engineer, contended;, that the structure.would hot be secure against floods if built for the reduced amoiintj he would ait once be reminded that - if it were washed away % .{insurance': fund w,oH.ld,replace..it withpuVanycpst' tQ.the.'!qcal.b])dy~ lieye. thai it would he.a wise .'principle to: hold eveiy:-Ideal body : responsible for -anticipating flood diirofigcß to roads and, bridges by a careful construction of the ■various works which ore undertaken. Of course thera might be occasional damage which noVeasoaable amount of provision could avert, but' as a rule flood damages disclose some want of fore-

Kiglit which ought not to- he plastered over liy an insurance fiind; Evary. local body,', too, Hhould possess some contingency fund available, for canes of. emergency, It is unfortunate that our own local bodies are fihanoially y?eak for carrying out efficiently their proper functions, but the real remedy would ; be. in :the, directionj of strengthening 'and consolidating.; them, riitbei-; ; than in relieving, them., of Responsibilities.-\vith .which tbey. o'u'jjbt to ; b.e ;ftWfe% cop.