OPENING OF THE ORAWAITI BRIDGE.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 716, 27 September 1870, Page 2

OPENING OF THE ORAWAITI BRIDGE.

At all times a local convenience, the bridge across the Orawaiti has latterly been looked upon as a local grievance. It is now all convenience, and no grievance. On Saturday it was opened to the public free of toll, and it will continue to be so while it continues to be a bridge. Mr Thomas Jones, who had the enterprise to build it about three years ago, transferred it on Saturday to the possession of the Provincial Government, and the Grovernment transferred from their banking account to that of Mr Jones the sura of £GOO. This was done with an amount of legal formality which is not usual in the transfer of chattels, and is not likely to be longer usual, even in the transfer of lands ; but probably the Government, having been slow in effecting the purchase, have wished to be sure that it is made when it is made. An eye-witness to the opening of some champagne at the Bridge Hotel, on Saturday, considers it an accomplished fact. The public are assured that it is so, by an advertisement to that effect in another column. As to the necessity for this announcement, and the necessity for proper publicity being given to all matters kindred, it may only be said that, so slight seemed to be the faith of some in Provincial Council votes and Governments, that several travellers by the bridge within these last two days refused to believe that its freedom from toll was not a practical joke, and one heretical drayman, in attempting to avoid the supposed toll, had a narrow escape, when crossing the river, of losing his horse, dray, and load of firewood. The narrow escapes which were thus occasionally invited by economical horse-

men or hard-up swaggers need not now be encountered. Nor need the journey northward to the terraces be made at the cost of inflicting upon horseflesh generally a low Bcale of diet. If packers cannot afford to make any great reduction in the cost of carriage* they will at least be able to afford to their beasts of burden a more liberal supply of horse-feed. The bridge, itself, lately so much noticed, will probably not require further notice until an extension of Mr Courtney's tramway be contemplated, or until it require improvement for the conveyance of coal-laden railway waggons from Mount Rochfort. So may it be. Of its present purchase it may be said that it is a bridge greatly more worth the price paid for it than was the Nile bridge worthy of even its original purchase price, but it may be added that the system of making first the local public, and then the public purse, pay in coin of the realm for these useful and necessary works is not a system which should be continued so long as in other parts of the Province the payment is made out of the landed estate —an especially wise arrangement in these parts, where it is so desirable to encourage enterprise and settlement.