THE HAMILTON BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 909, 20 April 1878, Page 2

THE HAMILTON BRIDGE.

A LARD ETA' ATTENDED MEETING of the burgesses of Hamilton, presided over by. the Mayor, was held on Thursday evening, m the Court- j house, Hamilton, fco inspect and discuss the planfj oj a. bridge propared by the Engineer-in-Gluef and forwarded by the Government for the use of the Borough, A description of the bridge was published m our last', but the cost was not then kno\yn.. The Mnyov, m. opening tho meeting referred to the brj^e/vuestiou as one whi.:h had for years interested the people of Hamilton, and on the necessity for which they had always beon unanimous. Now that the present Ministry had, at the earnest request of members of Ihe l\tj Government? placed a sum of £3000 v the estimates to s^pplpi^ei|t jtye

co -:t, itnrl tlmt this sum was fairly sivailable,forbheyhadgob the proiui.se m plain writing . of its being forthcoming when wanted, he trusted that no misapprehension would be allowed to stand between tho public and the carrying out of this much desired work. At the lalo meeting tho.se present had said : " Where avo your plrtns and estimates?"' The Council had tried hard to get them from the Government, but the latter were not to be hurried. The plans were now, however, before the meeting*, and he had just received a telegram to the effect that at a rough estimate the bridge, the plans of which were before them, would cost nob more than £'8000. and that wht-n the Engineer- in-Chief had prepared the specifications they should bo forwarded. They had, therefore, now towards the work tho definite promise of £3000 from the Government, the necessary plans and drawing's of a bridge, and it was for the burgob3(J3 to say whether they would \ sanction the raising of tho balance by loan. Mr W. Jones asked if the Council had yet fixed the site of the bridge. I The Mayor : The Council considers the be3t site to be that fixed by Mr Clark, the engineer — immediately below Mi- Webber's house. Mt' Webber said he had been long resident here, and had &een all the bridge surveys made by engineers, and all had fixed on the same site as the most suitable. He spoke quite disinterestedly, for the bridge being place;! near his property would be a serious loss to him (laughter), bub ifc would be the best site m the com* inercial interests of Hamilton, and he would sacrifice his own convenience. Mr W. Jones moved — That thi3 meeting recommends to tlie consideration of the Uouneil that the site of the proposed bridge should bo nearer the piuib and below tho W.S.N. Co.'s office Seconded b} r Mr Trewhcellar, who asksd if any estimate had been called fo- by the Coutieil to ascertain whether a bridge could nob bj erected at this point quite as cheaply, if nob cheaper, than higher up at Webber's. Placed as near as possible to tho punt tho gradients would be easier, they would be keeping faith with pec pie who had been purchasing land on the line of traffic on the understanding that the bridge would be erected at the punt crossing, and they would be making Borough laands valuable which lay immediately near to the punt. The Major said that all Engineers employed to look for a site had settled on diat by Webber's house. Mr Knox said -it was quite an easy matter for Government engineers to make mistakes. Whoever laid out the Hamilton railway station where it v\as, had given proof of that. He pointed out the enormous amount of cutting- and filling that would have to be done to get a gradient from Vioboria-Street beyond the church, to the bridge at Webbers. He would not be one to vote against the loan. That they must have, but tho Council must reconsider the question of tho site. There was no opposition to the loan m the public mind, bat only to the proposed site. The burgesses should to-night give a distinct expression to their opinion on that matter. Mr R. Harris proposed as an amendment That the Council bo empowered to raise a loan of £7,000 for the, construction of a bridge at. Hamilton, au.l'tho question of the site to be -left to the consideration of the Borough Council. The amendment was seconded by Mr McGarriglc. Mr Potter would have liked to have known the exact amount the bridge would have cost. The interest and sinking fund upon the proposed loan would be me j from the tolls leviable on the bridge. The yield of the punt tolls -would bo something 1 like £500 yearly. Supposing it book 15 or 20 years to pay off the loan, the tolls would save any necessity for a special rate. They would need all the rates they could afford to raise for other works and therefore it was exceedingly satisfactory that the revenue derivable from the bridge would pay the yearly interest of its cost and provide a sinking fund for wiping oub the deb I; altogether. It would be wrong m principle and practice not bo vote the loan on Saturday. With regard to the proposed site his own idea was that it should be a little nearer the company's store. He thought the qpinion of the burgesses m the matter was entitled to all weight. Mr Whitaker said if the present value oi the punt tolls were £500 a year these of the bridge should be fully worth .£550 more. This would more than pay the interest; and sinking fund on £7QQQ. There would be a largely increased trafffc m cattle, horses, and wheeled vehicles which now was kept down by the inconveuieuce and risk of the punfc. The question resolved itself simply into this. They wanted a bridge; they knew they could borrow tlie_ money at 7 per pent. : they knew that the tolls would meet lije intqpesb and theft ultimately the accumulation of the sinking' fund would make it a free bridge. Mr Treewheollnr explained that his remarks applied cnily to the question of Mie sifco. He did not for j >l moment oppose th.c' sanctioning of the loan. Bridge Me-j ting -Two The origkial rosjlution and amendment having b .-en pat the former was carried by a s.nall : majority. j • Mr Potter then movo.l

That this meeting do x-eooinmond the burgesses to uutiiari.se the Council to raise a loan of 7,000 towards the construction of a bridge at Hamilton. \ Mr John Kuox, m seconding this resolution hoped as one of the oldest inhabitants that not a " no " would be pub vi the ballot box on Saturday against tho loan, but that the burgesses woaU trust to (he sense of duty m tho Council to study their wishes us regards the site. The resolution was pat and 'carried unanimously- and. with a ' vote of thanks to the Mayor for : presiding, .moved by Mr Potter, the , business "Was brought to a close.