PUBLIC MEETING.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 25 July 1877, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A well attended and very important public meeting was held on Monday evening last, the 23rd inst., m one of the large rooms of the Clarendon Hotel. Mr G. M. Snelson having been voted to the Chair, referred to the advertisement convening the meeting, which set forth that the object of "the meeting was "to take into consideration the necessity of presenting a petition to the - Government relative to the erection pf a Bridge . across* the Manawatu River at the Lower Gorge Ferry — instead of a new ferry, punt for that crossing— in order, to prevent future inconvenience and danger to the travelling public." "■ The Chairman said he considered the building of a bridge at tiie Lower Ferry was a public necessity. The" present punt was" perfectly useless/ the wires " were continually breaking, and there was a constant "liability ;: to accident. A bridge would conduce to the prosperity of settlers on the lin4 and would ensure the • comfort and convenience of travellers. . , - Mr McKenzie said a bridge ,at,'the Lower Ferry was necessary to keep' the traffic on the line, and to make it what it was'really intended to be— the main road to Napier.- :, . r, ; ;-.■ Mr OwEN-'sjiid it behoved the settiers on the line tb' move some resolution* -giving expressipn to their views. There was to have been a bridge at the, Lower Ferry, and m not building it the Government were simply breaking faith with the settlers. To divert the traffic on the other side of the river, as was proposed by some, would hurt Palmerstori: There was nothing like being m, earnest /and unanimous m pressing this matter upon - the attention of the Government. Mr Watjgh said, he believed he was one of the oldest settlers m the/district. He had bought land with theVexpectation that a bridge was to be builtj; and' that he was on the main roadjfco Napier.' The present punt w.as merely a toy. It had been well named the " Little 'Ampton." It was incapable of .carrying anything like a load. The fact of building the proposed bridge would hot hurt the settlers on the other side of. the river. A road had been laid off* through the Fitzherberton Block, and would have to be made, but it would riot do to make that'the main line, as there, would be a good three miles further to travel to the Lower Ferry. The Chairman read the/following resolution, which was proposed ' by Mr McKenzie and seconded by Mr Waugh : —"That m the opinion of thismeetingj a. bridge -tfver the Lower Ferry is necessary." < Mr Owen thought there was a wrong impression existing m the meeting. ' To his mind there was, no question between the bridge and the road. They fiad met m connection with the; bridge, and he. believed that if there was; no bridge at the Lower Ferry, Palmerston would suffer, and more especially the Terrace End. . ;■ Mr Linton did not see ,why there should be any cavilling or jealousy m the matter. , The settlers, he believed, were desirous of helping each other, and would stick together. The proposed bridge would be on what, was now, and would continue to be, the main road to Napier. He believed the' Government intended to -make the bridge, aridjthe settlers could not do better than move m the matter at once. ,\ ' '„ Mr Davis made some remarks about . his experience as a, settler m Canterbury and the desirability of making a road on the south side of the Manawatu, m lieu of building thebridge, but was ruled'butv of order by the. Chairman. MrE. Marsh did riot quite under-; stand, the last speaker's remarks about getting a roa;d on the other side of the Manawatu. The Government would not make the road now; that the land was sold. The Highways* Board would have to do it. ThebestpoKcywastbgioinfpr the bridge, and the' road would be made m due course. - , ■ Mr Knott said the Government had prpmised to build the- bridge long ago, aad the settlers on the Hhe had refrained from urging thei^ claim" time after" time. The Government ought to redeem its promise and, build the bridge. They had made one to Fitzherberton, and the Napier line settlers had not der murred at this, although the Lower Ferry Bridge had been promised/long before. At present that crossing was not safe either for man or beast.. The Chairman pointed .out that the Fitzherberton bridge had been built by the Provincial Government- to open- up and sell their lands, whereas the proposed bridge at the Lower' Ferry was on a main line of road, and : was consequently a General Government work* . Mr Abrahams .said the meeting was. called m connection with the ; building • of a bridge at the Lower Ferry,, arid had, nothing whatever to do with the road ion .the other side of the river. Some* pf the Fitzherberton settlers seemed to think that the bridge would be the means of doing them out of the rpad, but that was a fallacy; As the Hpuse "was-npw sitting, he a petition ought to begot up and sent to the meiriv Vber for the district without delayi asking the House to vote a sum of money for \ the construction of a bridge' at the Lower Ferry/ ; . ; ; .; .;. The motion was earned. Mr Linton said that MriDalrymple had fully intended to be at the meeting,

but had been called away to Wellington on business. Before leaving he had I mentioned to him his willingness, m the event of such a resolution as^ had just been carried by the meeting, to act with the member for the district m laying the matter before the Government. He j would move " That Mr Dalrvmple be requested to call updnMr W.W.Johnston, trad ask him to ■ press upon the' Government the wishes of the present meeting." The motion was seconded by Mr Abrahams and carried. Mr Beards said "that he had expected to see a large number of settlers from Woodville. Mr Peebles had been engaged to bring them down. He knew that the settlers there favoured the building of a bridge at the Jjower Ferry. They had said .that unless this was_ done, r they • would have vtp draw* their supplies from Napier." The construction "of this bridge was not merely a matter of .importance to the settlers . on the line. It was; important to Palmerston, and to the port of Foxton as well. -, ■■'•,.,-.•.'■>■;:.' -. .-■ ■■-, ' •-. ■■■ •:. Mr Owen said the settlers should take the matter m hand energetically and 'get up a numerously signed petiI tion. . Mr Palrymple and. pur member, would break the icet* but their action shouldjbe -follpweji up . by; a petition. • It should be a peculiarly worded petition, and should, remind the Government that money had been' voted for theiworki ; , ; ■; ;;" '^r >S's. v !'^v^;-p;. ■" . Mr McEenzie^ moved that tie Governmenifc be petitioned to. the effect, "That a sufficient amount of mbne£ be voted by the Legislative Assembly' to erect a bridge over the Lower Ferry of the. Manawatu 'River.'* •■;,..■ . : Mr Abrahams seconded the motion which was put and carried. - - The Chairman ; said there was one very hopeful .fteaturie m connection with the object -of their meeting;- The same Minister (Mr Ormond) that was m .office when the main Napier line of road was commenced was- now again m Office. He, (the Gliairman) knew that, t was Mr Ormohd's intention to connect the -various i centres .of population by means of roads and railways, and he believed that he; would look fayqrably upon the conslxttetion of a bridge at the ; Lower Ferry, :r: v ' : The Chairman; having asked if there was any; other; business to bring bofore the meeting, " - ' . Mr JDavis said that \as a New Zealand settler of j cbrisiderable experience, he knew the:way r Ifoad Boards carried on .their work. Settlers often had to wait years and years before getting a road ,to their property. The Government went upon borrowed money, and . would not.be likely to undertake any work.that would ,not recoup them.. If the bridge' v was built, would it bring a 'single settler >to the place ? [Cries of> " Yes, /yes ! ".] He knew that a, roacl on the other -side of Jthe river would in- . duce settlement. 1 Ife would move "That the Government be asked to consider the necessity of constructing a road on the south side of the Manawatu river." Mr Owek. objected to the resolution, as , being foreign to* the object of the meeting. ■ . , ' ' " , Mr Linton believed that the settiers all desired to -help each. other, and the Fitzherbertori settlers would find the Napier line settlers willing to help them m; the matter of getting their road, but . he thought Mr Davis wanting m respect to bring forward such a motion at the present meeting. The Chairman advised Mr Davis not to clash, >the road ; and bridge together. ■ -No one: was imore anxious -to see the country opened up than himself, but they should riot try to -get it opened up ; at the expense of a long standing claim such as the settlers on the Napier line had for a bridge at the Lower Ferry. He believed it had been promised, and ". they had now waited patiently for it for upwards of six years. "It was quite right that they should now press the matter, ;'/'■- ■■ ■/ "' '■ ■y' ': . >•::_ :.;. ■.;, {■JSSIT Davis asked leave to withdraw his motion, which being granted;; the motion was accordingly withdrawn. '" A vote of thanks to (the" Chairman terminated one of the most spirited and unanimous meetings which we have had the pleasure of attending m Palmerston. ' ; ; ; V^- :