THE PIRIRI BRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1764, 25 October 1883, Page 2

THE PIRIRI BRIDGE.

TO THE KDirOH. Silt, — The now well-tiumpeted danger of the Ph hi bridge promises bofoie long, if steps arc not immediately taken, to terminate in an occurrence, the seriousness of which it would not bo easy to at present anticipate. For a long time past the present state of this important structure has been repi esonted to the jmblic not only by youisolf, but by tia\eller.s and \isitois passing through the distiict, and these replespntations have led to otheis being made to the county council .and the (ioveinment, but all seemingly without any immediate effect. We aie always being told that something is going to be done, that steps ;ue about to be taken, that preliminaiy matters in connection with the work are being ai ranged, that provision is being made to have the work attended to at an eaily date ; but weeks pass-, and thiough some cause or othei, only known to those thoroughly ver.sed in the science of Government officialdom, we never .seoin to get beyond the pi criminal 3r3 r stage. It would seem as if the art category is not as yet complete, for assuredly the process of Government pievarication, as experienced in regaid to om public woiks, paiticularly those of this district, i.s as gi eat and inextricable an ait a.s is now extant. Preliminary matteis in connection with the cmnti notion of n 1 ailway take not months but years to arrange, and for .small bndgcsmany months aie lequned with leprosentations out of mini bei, to arrive at the understanding that the ■» oik is at all neceswuy, with the consequence that before it is commenced a sum which would go a long way in providing the work has been foolishly expended in postal and telegiaphic communication and dispensible pi^liminaiies. It is now fully two yeaii ago since tlie question of a new bridge o\ er the Piim creek awis fiist mooted, and though tlie dangei has mci eased duly since, we aie veiy little in advance of wheie we staitod. It would be utterly impossible to uxaggeiato the piesont condition of tho 'tiuctuie. Jt would seem as if a battle had Ken fought near by, and that an attempt had been made by one of tho eonbending p.uties to de>-tioy the bridge, but that they were obliged to desist befoie altogether succeeding m the attempt. The side uils aie completely demolished, «>ud tho decking is like a gigantic sieve A few days ago the wheels of a waggon .sank light thiough the decking up to the axles, but we suppose nothing can be effectual in rousing the Public Works Depaitment, unless a loss of life and piopeitj'. Alicady tint, matter has been a great drawback to traffic on this line of load. Tho sunnnei months are now coming on, and the tourist traffic thiough to I'otoiua and Taupo is daily mci easing. Should the bridge now collapse, the damage which the public of thib distuct would sustain by a temporary cessation of traffic over the road would be very considerable, and this should be taken into consideration. I sinceiely hope the local governing bodies will not cease their efforts, but unite in imperatively demanding that the bridge .should be proceeded with without any further delay whatever. — I am, &c, TIIAVELLKH. Cambridge, Oct. 24th.

A kkckxt obituary notice says :—": — " Mr Smith was an estimable citizen. He died with perfect resignation. He had recently been inarnccl." When Jckyll, the witty lawyer, was asked what was the difference between an attorney and a solicitor, he replied, " About the same that exists between an alligator and a crocodile." German Residents ix Russia. — There has long been much anxiety in Russia concerning the great increase of German colonisation in the western provinces of the empire. " There is a whole German corps tVnrmec settled within our frontier." has been the cry of the alarmist for some time past, and it would seem his voice has not been raised m vain. The St. Petersburg Gazette announces that the Minister of the Interior has ordered the German population of the provinces of Volhynia and Podolia to be counted, in order to ascertain how long each German colonist has been living in Russia. All those Germans who have been in Russia for more than five years are to be naturalised as Russian subjects, otherwise they will be expelled fr>m Russia. The St. Petersburg Gazette highly approves of this drastic measure against the " disease of German colonisation," on the ground that ''Russia belongs to the Russians." Prince Bismarck probably looks at the subject in a very different light. A PAINFUL scene took place at the Quarter Sessions in Sydney recently. A very young-looking married woman was convicted of obtaining 2s by false pretences. As there was no previous record against her, the judge, in passing sentence, said that he would pass upon her the lowest sentence which the law allowed. Under one section of the act the lowest sentence he could pass was five years' penal servitude. " How muoh ?" exolaimed the prisoner, evidently thinking that the term mentioned by the judge was the term of her sentence. "Five years' penal servitude," replied his Honour. The , prisoner threw her clasped hands over her head, cried, " Oh, my God !" and fell senseless on the floor. With great difficulty and delay she was restored to partial consciousness, and the judge then proceeded to say that at the time he W^ s Ipterruptpc] by t ne prisoner he was abput to. nienfcion that under another section he had discretion to alter a five years' sentence of penal servitude ,to one year's hard labour. That was the lowest sentence whigh the law allowed him tq paga for this offence, but aa he was of opinion fchafc fch e charge might have been -brought under the Vagrant Act, winch Vould have " admitted of. a light punishment • being inflicted, he would[, promise that if she conducted herself well,' and "'petitioned the" Executive at .the e^d, of thr.ee ,monsi^ ,for ; ,ar remission ,p/ tne. sentence, , jhej .would, , support^ tßat , fletitipjjj, j ; are {informed' l thas' the reason, .fhe^cajge, came .befoye ,a,jnry , wj|. that the prisoner depUne^. to be triecj.' "fiy 'q.