OPENING OF THE Whatawhata Bridge,

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1373, 21 April 1881, Page 2

OPENING OF THE Whatawhata Bridge,

The ceremony of opening thenew Bridge at Whatawhata was performed very successfully yesterday. The great importance of the work as a connecting link between the important counties of Waipa and Raglan was evidently recognised by the settlers in the surrounding districts, who turned ont in considerable force to do honor to the occasion. Not only were all the prominent settlers of Whatawhata and the lower Waipa present but many of the principal residents of Reglan and Ruapuke put in an appearance, anxious to cement the bond of union which had been formed between them and their Waipa neighbours. The ceremony was advertised to take place at 1 o'clock. A number of visitors from Hamilton arrived on horseback and in vehicles, while about 40, including the Hamilton Band, arrived by the steamer at about 2 o'clock. As the steamer neared the landing-place, the Band struck up a lively air, and those assembled on the bridge above gave vent to a hearty cheer. When the passengers had been landed, the Band fell in, and a move was made in the direction of the Bridge. The Band played across the structure, and on their return paused half way to allow of the ceremony of the opening been performed. The number on the structure at this time could not have been much less than 300, amongst whom, as we have said above, were all the more prominent settlers of the neighbourhood with their families. Mr F. A. Whitaker, the member for the district, then mounted the hand-rail of the Bridge and addressed the assemblage as follows : —Ladies and gentlemen : I have been asked to assist in performing the ceremony of opening this very important and useful work. It always affords me gratification to assist in objects of this kind. One cannot but feel proud to mark in anew country, such as this, any district making advances in the progress of civilisation. In all new countries roads and bridges are of the greatest importance ; without them it is impossible that a country can prosper. Where there are no such means of communication, the people are invariably discontented and invariably poor. I have said that I am always glad to assist in the promotion of works of this nature ; but I am still more glad when these works lie within the district which I have the honour to represent in Parliament, and whose interests it has always been my study, as it has been my duty to watch over and guard. Since the inauguration of the Public Works scheme you well know that many millions of pounds have been spent in railway construction ; but with all that it is not possible that everybody can have a railway, and it is therefore necessary that they should have good roads to act as feeders to the railways. The district surrounding Whatawhata is large and fertile, and now that we are beginning to find that the railways we have must be made to pay, it is necessary that the traffic should be increased from such districts as this and many others, and in consequence these districts must be' tapped and means provided for connecting them with our railway system. I am aware that the practice in the past has been to neglect the country and to spend money in the large urban centres ; but it has been found that huge towns are of little use unless backed up by good country settlements. Successive Governments have gone upon the scriptural plan of taking from those who had little in order to give to those who had much. I have always been a steady opponent of that system, and will continue to be so. I never could see the justice of giving the £ for £ subsidy to bodies who hare the power to raise large revenues in order to obtain such subsidy, while no more was jriven to outdistricts, which are incapable of doing so, but which, at the same time, stand in much greater need of assistance of this kind. Such a state of thinars will not la»-t much longer. This district in particular has been neglected. I know pretty well the whole of New Zealand, and I know of no other district which has received so little justice as this part of the colony. Although the district has been settled many years —Raglan some 20 years —it is only quite recently that the Governmont has seen its way to make grants for opening of roads and the erection of bridges here. I have done what I could, and I will not rest until I have further advanced the prospect^ of this valley. When people come to know as I know, the fertility of the land and its adaptability for settlement, you may be sure that its advancement will be secured, and this will be the best brought about by the opening up of efficient means of communication. When the Hon. Mr Rolleston was in Waikato I represented to him very strongly that there were now only two small gaps in the road from the East to the West Coast. One is at the Komata, and the other is the little piece of unfinished road between here and Hamilton. When these two portions are completed there will be nothing to prevent a buggy being driven from Raglan on the one coast to the Thames on the other in a couple of days, and these difficulties will shortly be overcome. (Applause.) I understand there is to be a luncheon at 3 o'clock, and I shall not therefore detain you further, but will conclude by asking Miss Day to declare this bridge open. Miss Day (daughter of Mr C. Day, chairman of the Celebration Committee), then advanced, and seizing a bottle of champagne which had been suspended by a piece of silk ribbon from the truss, broke it against one of the iron supports, saying at the same time, " I now declare the Whatnwhata Bridge open for traffic," Mr John Knox (Mayor of Hamilton) then called for three cheers for Miss Day, which were given with great; heartiness, and after cheers had been given for Mr Whitaker, and the National Anthem had been played by the Band, the interesting ceremony was over, and the party returned to the township, the Band reforming and playing back.

The Bridge and its Construction. The contractors for erection were— Messrs McLean and Sons, Auckland. The tender of these gentlemen was accepted in preference to eight others, it being the lowest. It is what is called in technical phraseology a truss bridge extending from bank to bank on a level with the high terrace lands adjoining the river. Its entire length is 520 feet, made up of two 80-feet spans, seven 40 feet, and four 20 feet. The 80-feet spans are supported on sixteen piles; the 40feet span on eight; and the 20-feet spans on six. These piles are all composed of well-selected totara timber. The driving of the piles averaged from 16 to 25 feet, the bottom in all cases being described as good for driving purposes. Besides totara, puriri, and kauri timbers were largely used in construction. The amount of iron work will be gathered from the fact that a total of 15 tons was made use of. The approaches on each side are made up aodded and metalled, all complete and ready for the opening of the traffic The road-way is 14 feet in width, the struc« ture in all its parts being of a most substantial character, and in all other respects, well finished. Seven months

have been occupied with the work ; the contract price paid summing up a total of £3,700. Mr Andrew Hope acted as clerk of works, and both he and the contractor appear to have done the work entrusted to them in a creditable manner.

Tke Luncheon, which took place in a large marquee erected near the Whatawhata Hotel, was supplied by Mr Kellow in very good style. About 60 gentlemen sat down, Mr W. Duncan (chairman of the Raglan County Council), in the absence of the chairman of the Waipa Council (Mr Aubin), occupied the chair, and Mr C. Day (chairman of the Newcastle Highway Board) the vice-chair. The chairman was supported by the members for Waipa and Waikato (Messrs Whitaker and Whyte), and amongst the company were the Rev W. Calder, Messrs McMmn, T. B. Hill, Martin, John Knox (Mayor of Hamilton), L. O'Neill, W. C. Breakell, Dawson, Corboy, Anderson, Hall, Salmon, E. Fitzpatrick, T. Y. Fitzpatrick, R, Gwynne, J. Abbott, D. B, Hindle, Hadfield, Hodson, Limmer, Dickeson, Captain Lindsay, C4eorge Dickenson, and others. A number of toasts were proposed and responded to, but, owing to pressure of other matter, we are compelled to hold over our report of the speeches. In the evening there was a very enjoyable dance in the school-house.