CAMPBELL'S BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 970, 10 September 1878, Page 3

CAMPBELL'S BRIDGE.

Sir,— The Mangapiko Board seem l;o have forgotten the old saying of 'cheap and nasty, for they are putting up a cheap bridge at Campbell's iOreek, Tewhich will be undoubtedly a nas^y: one. After calling for tenders for puriri or totara, they make a private arrangement with a party to put hinau piles on. Allowing that they, knew nothing whatever about hinau, or any other' timber (as I have no doubt is the fact) the evidence. jOf , their . own senses .should be . sufficient for them. 'Hmau J tinibers L which hive been m thtf old bridge, not quite three years, are completely rotted. ; Rimu piles 12 inches through have gone so that you could hot find apiece of sound timber the size Of a match m them, and yet, m the face of this, they are .haying a bridge built of the above timbers. Any one who 'knows the New Zealand woods, is perfectly aware that green hinau. is more worthless than kahikateu,;more especially the saplings, which would be taken for the convenience of light squaring. The specification stated that the bridge was to be taken to pieces carefully, to allow of the old timbers being worked up if possible, but I notice that the coii- t tractors carefully chop up the soundish* ; timbers to gefc out | the bolts, the trouble of drawing ihem. "the Soard should consider themselves bound by the specification/ jin fairness to those tender- , ing, for if a party got information that any; rubbish ©f timber would be| allowed, and' any shimming worW permittM/ what chance would ' others have against ! him . ., Hoping these lines may draw* the attend.' tiori'of the jfcfangap"iko 'ratepayers to the waste of ; their-'mcnay va' putting" ' vp f a' three year bridge. — I am, &Cr, OfiSEEViik. ; -'Alexandra. -; ■■■;' ■■.■^^■■>:'>\" l v-

Sik,— l' observed' m'a recent issue of your paper that, m view of the "contemplated, change of Resident Magistrates for Waikat'6, 1 a ( memorial has been sighed '-by a numbet of J.P.'s* to prevent such change if "possible. This is 'on the: groundf that the present Resident -Magistrate 'knows the Waikato district and people very well —so 'he does; especially those that are well off and influential. If the people of Hamilton wish ltd. retain the present functionary, by all means let them do so; but Hamilton is not the 'whole of the Waikato', and' this' is' pretty -clearly 'shown by,.',' • the .fact -that; /quite recently; a| petition, 1 largely signed by. Europeans and natives, has been sent- 'to th'e^Hon. Mr Sheehan, asking that a private gentleman m the Waipa district be made a J.P., with power- to settle cases ( arising m, the neighborhood, so earnest are some f people for a t change ; but of; course, the petitioners are only poor people, who have not, as it is playfully said, the ear of the Court. — I am, &c, Woeking Man. ,- ;

Sik, — Being "at a meeting of the Borough pounpil the other j day, ; it was:j3hown m accounts due, to tradesmen for work and materials supplied to the Borough: — Mr "Mayor''— rOn-acopunt; of punt, £2.9 Os lid; ditto ditto furniture, £26 5s 4d; ! totalj^^SS' 6s ; 3d. i; Mr Coates, "Councillor" —On account of timber, £9 Os lid ; ditto ditto' ditto, £11 2a Id ; 'total; £2fO 3si' l Are there no provisions m ; any of ' the ■ Acts ; of •■ Council against the Mayor and Councillors giving themselves orders, and supplying them at their own prices,. and,pay,ing themselves out of the Borough funds'? Are- the ratepayers helpless m this matter ? . To whom are the ratepayers to look for redress ? It is high time such malversation should he made a public example of, as these men are not fit for office.— L I am, Sec., 'SEECTATb^i • Hamilton, September 9, 1878. "" '■'•• ■•;■ .1-,.>;-i"7 .-: i'/f