THE CAMBRIDGE HIGHWAY DISTRICT AND THE KARAPIRO BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1597, 28 September 1882, Page 2

THE CAMBRIDGE HIGHWA Y DISTRICT AND THE KARAPIRO BRIDGE.

A DKPUTATrox consisting of Messrs Jas. Taylor, James Forrest, J. A. Douglas, Jno. Runciman, and J. Allwill, being chairman and members, respectively, of of the Cambridge Highway Board, waited on the Waikato County Council yesterday to urge the injustice of allocating the funds accruing to the board from the county to the Karapiro bridge. Mr Forrest, who acted as spokesman, . said he regretted very much the absence of Councillors Wells and Hewitt. The deputation had come prepared to meet those gentlemen, and indeed anyone from Cambridge who was prepared to justify the appropriation of money belonging to the country district for the Karapiro bridge. The country board got no rates from any property which derived benefit from the bridge, nor had the ratepayers of the district any interest in the work. The bodies most interested in the bridge were the Cambridge Town Board and the Taotaoroa and Fukokura Boards. The bridge was situated half on the town lands and half on the domain lands ; the domain board derived revenue from their lands partly on account of the existence of the bridge communication, and the board ought to pay towards its maintenance. The Taotoaroa and Pukekura settlers were also greatly interested. The bridge over the Waikato would be useless to the latter without that spanning the Karapiro. Yet these people who used the bridge refused to subscribe, and the Cambridge country settlers, who had no interest in it whatever, Avere made to put their hands in their pockets. The ridings of Kirikiriroa and Rangiriri might with equal justice have been called upon to subscribe. He would ask the council to consider the position of the back settlers. One gentleman, Mr John Runciman, had hundreds of tons of produce which it would not pay him to send away, owing to the wretched condition of the roads in his neighborhood ; they had eleven miles of main road to maintain, and this swamped all the available funds. He was of opinion that the town should be called upon to contribute towards making the country roads, by which the approach to Cambridge was kept open, instead of the country being compelled to find money for the construction of works within the town, and from which the out-settler derived no benefit whatsoever. The back settlers were literally locked in behind a sea of mud. They had been to Cambridge, but they were told there that the council had voted the money, and it would be a breach of faith if they were to withold it, but he was rather of opinion that the council would be guilty of a much greater breach of faith if the money rightly belonging to the country district were given to build the Karapiro bridge. He believed the council to be desirous of rectifying any wrong if it could be clearly pointed out ; the deputation had a real grievance, and he hoped the council would mete out justice to them. Mr Allwill endorsed all that had fallen from the previous speaker. He pointed out that the country board had maintained the Kapariro bridge and the road approach for years unjustly, and a large amount of the country rates had been expended within the boundaries of the town. The country district was as badly off as any district could well be, and naturally expected help from the country, and now they found that the whole of their money had gone to the Karapiro bridge. Capt. Runciman corroborated the remarks of Mr Allwill. When he was a member of the Cambridge Highway Board, some five years ago, the boundaries of the district had been altered so as to give Taotaoroa that portion of the district lying on the other side of the Karapiro creek, but by a bit of sharp practice on the part of Mr Itobt. Fergusson the town belt was made the boundary which still left the bridge in the Cambridge district. The Cle.i'k said the boundaries of the town district iuoluded the bridge since July, 1878. Cr. Graham said it was understood when the grant of £450 was voted by the council that that would cover the cost of the bridge. Since then the Government had given £400 in aid of the work, and he thought this should have gone to reduce the county vote. The Chairman said the council would give the matter their best consideration. Mr Forrest said he Avished also to refer to the county accounts. From these, one would be apt to conclude that the country board was in a first-class position, and that the town wag correspondingly badly off, But no district in the Waikato was so well off as the town of Cambridge, and none so unfortunately situated ac the corntry district. The latter, after paying outstanding liabilities and expenses, would only have about £30 to expend on roads works. They, had contributed £308 13s ( to the county fund between April Ist, 1881, and September 22nd, 1882, -of which they had received £80 ; £61 10s 2d had been deducted, for general charges, advertising, commission, &c.*, leaving 'a balance to their credit of ' £165/ . The 1 townfott the ottfer hanci,!Jiad,* during the safye period;" 'contributed 5 (including license-feesV no_\V WifchlieMV^tfii and had rec'eived r ;£o69.od(V tMts 'leaving ' a balance on the wrong side of t^leilgor

of. £95 odd. It •was strange ttiat one dis-, tricfc should be allowed to get credit in ■ this way while the other was refused. Even if the council did decide against , them on the Karapiro question, it would be somet ime, probably % twelve -months,* before that work wtmld be completed, and meantime the deputation hoped the balance ilne the country _ board would be handed over for works which were urgently required. ' The Chairman stated that the subject would bo duly,considercl, and the depu-. tation having thanked the council, withdrew. A short discussion ensued, the generally expressed opinion being tlut more time should be allowed for deliberation, and at suggestion of Capt. Jtunciman, the matter was postponed till next meeting of the council, on the understanding that no more money on account of the Karapiro bridge was to be p.iid away in the meantime.