THE BRIDGES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 649, 20 August 1891, Page 2

THE BRIDGES.

The bridges over the rivers in Gisborne are very useful structures, but they have their unsatisfactory side, as well as other things that are not perfection. The ratepayers know to their cost that the opening of the bridges, and the partial wrecks which occur at times, is too big a burden to be borne without a murmur—and a very pronounced murmur of discontent sometimes has good effect in these matters, giving warning of the strong feelings of the people. Borough Councillor Whinray, naturally indignant at the large amount of money that has to be voted to the bridges, while the roads have to go without necessary metal, is moving to have application made to the Marine Department to declare that the rivers are not navigable. He makes the saving clause that Messrs Nelson Bros, should be privileged persons in regard to the rivers. Surely Cr Whinray cannot have considered the position in which he thus places himself, of granting to a private firm a monopoly of a river In which thousands of people are Interested ? We think the people of the district would venture to submit to a greater cost than is even likely to be necessary than ask to be deprived of their own rights in this way. In years to come our rivers will be considered a very valuable feature of the place, and it would be a monstrous thing if a few persons who happened to be in authority for the time being should have the power of granting a mononoly of them to one firm that can now use them as a right, the same as any other firm that can show reason for making use of the rivers. If the Borough Council were to make such application to the Marine Department—a body that is not infallible, as Gisborne people have reason to know—it would be taking a step for which it has no authority from the ratepayers, and which at the least should have the sanction of the ratepayers in public meeting assembled. The question of what power the Marine Department has in the matter does not necessarily enter into the discussion of the subject, for there is the Principle which requires first attention. Cr Whinray, bo doubt, is acting in what he believes to be the best interests of the ratepayers, knowing and (like others) feeling the burden that the Borough has to bear, but it is better for us tq bear the little evils of the present thaq seek a remedy which, if available, would be worse in effect than the complaint it was ntended to cure.