WHATAWHATA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1435, 13 September 1881, Page 2

WHAT AW HAT A. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

A meeting of thd Newcastle Road Board was held here ou the oth inst, when a rate of one shilling in the pound was struck. No other business was transacted. The same Bfliujd met f at J? £jfgaruawahia on the 7th ins&J'wjti'en. the 'tenders for the office of Ranger were opened, Mr W. j Shepherd beffig' the'VuSSSißfurMndeWf: It^aDpears tljat this-^istrust is entitled I to v anotber{mejpoer for |h^ Waipa County Council, and that a speoial meeting is •convened on tbe-18fch"insfcr""~There"is~no dpu,bt this part of ,the County has been sadly neglectea, and as far as population and rates &rq cpncprpf & wo; are entitled to another member. No doubt this will be j fairly dipcuBged ; *m,d dealfj with at the approaching meeting.' I'must now once more refer to the disgraceful- and dangerous condition to J;hq approaches, ]to,the WhataI whata bridge, If this, rain continues it will 1 , be impossible ,tp get,ori to the bridge at all. Only one narVowolacein^the., centre of the bridge where ijhe settles hay'ertbrown in" some posts to enable then^tq cross, aud now they are over two feet below the decking/ eaetf side of these are large holes, which are extremely dangerous, and whoever' are 'the '"proper authorities to Idok' 1 aftei* these' thiiigs should do at once; 1 1 believq the CHief Engineer was written to on this subject some time ago by .the; ]£gad Board, but no answer has <beeo. received. . Government never put up such bridge, costing nearly JB4OOO, merely to look at. The earthwork was' done in very dry weather, and was piled up .some two, feet above the bnclge, so that no blame can be attached to anyone in connection with the works. It is this wei' weather that has caused it to settle down.' ' Ihop'e that you will ventilate this in your valuable paper, so that something may 1 be done before an accident occurs. r ' We are now 'approaching the summer, when we need not expect ,muoh, rain to keep our riyer.in working' order 'for the steamers to ply their trade. This river, in parfcictular, is, in f sohie' months, unnavigable from a' short distance above Whatawbata , to Alexandra?, and should be looked after by the Government. * I have heard prreat complaints from'settlers, owing to the boats being irregular through this same oause,' and a lew . hundred pounds^ judiciously expeuded,, would clear the river of snags and blow up One or two suiall banks^ which, when the river is low, it is impossible for the boats to navigate. —September 12th.' ' '