The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1879. THE HAMILTON BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1157, 25 November 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1879. THE HAMILTON BRIDGE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's ( right maintain, TJnawed by iftflttfittCa and tlnbribed by gain.

A. VERTgoneral and energetic movement is being made throughout the district to urge the Assembly to cause the newly erected bridge at Hamilton to be declared free of toll. Of a necessity to cover the annual interest and sinking fuud on J&7000 worth of debentures, for -which the tolls and the rates of the Borough are liable, tb« Hamilton Borough Council has found it necessary to impose a somewhat heavy tariff of bridge tolls, whioh

will be felt even more severely by the travelling public outside the Borough, the residents of the latter who use the bridge often perhaps in the same day esciping with the one daily toll only. We print below the memorial which, we understand, is being largely signed in the several local riiHtiict'd of .Waikato, Waipa, and Piako, the matter having been taken np by man? ot the Highway District Boards and the publics generally. The time, it is true, is not very opportnne for soliciting what is no doubt a money grant from the Assembly; but the case is really one which has many strong claims to exceptional treatment, as stated in the memorial. At Ngaruawahia, at Cambridge, and at Alexandra free bridges have been erected, by the Government, but in this case, where the bridge is on the main South Tiank Road of the North Island, an oxception is madeTo the Honorable the Speaker and the members of the House Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled. ' The memorial of the undersigned residents in' District of Waikato, Waipa and Piako humbly Bheweth

1. That the bridge over the Waikato River at Hamilton, ju»t completed, is a great boon and advantage to the district. 2. That we find by advertisement that heavy tolls are intended tobe levied thereon, and that the said is the only means of crossing the Waikato .River for a distance of twelve miles north and eight miles south, and is upon the highway of the Great South Boad, and the only means whereby your petitioners can reach the railway from the Waikato and Piako counties, and pass from the Waipa to the Waikato and other provincial districts, it is desirable that it should be made a free bridge. v 3. That the said bridge would be a great feeder to the railway at Hamilton, but for the tolls thereon, and would, be largely used in the distribution of goods from the railway to the Waikato and Piako, at present sent f rem Auckland via Mercer and the Waikato Steam Navigation Company, thereby having a damaging effect upon the goods traffic of the railwav - . "„ , 4. That your petitioners find, upon examination, that -the tolls have been fixed at so high a rate to enable the Borough to raise the amount required to defray the annual interest and sinking fund on a loan of £7OOO, which has been their portion of the cost of the bridge, the Government contributing only £3OOO out of the £IO,OOO, such tolls having been given as security for the said loan.

5. That asnumbera of other bridges with fewer public interests in question, which have been erected entirely at the expense of the colony, and at much greater cost are open to the public free of tolls we would again respectfully, draw your attention to the fact that the bridge is on the highway of the Great fcouth Road, and as such should be a charge upon the colony. And your petitioners would humbly suggest .that your honorable House will place a sufficient sum upon the estimates for the purpose of paying off the aforsaid loan, and making the said bridge free and not a toll bridge, and your petitioners will ever pray.