THE Thames Advertiser. MONDAY, DEC. 7, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1912, 7 December 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. MONDAY, DEC. 7, 1874.

We do not know whether any of i our local bodies or of our citizens intend/to. dopubabionise Sir Donald McLean on his visit here, but there are a few matters to which we think his attention might advantageously be called. As our readers are aware, the Ministry have set their faces against undertaking a railway to connect, the Waikato country with the Thames Valley. : No one can deny that such a line would be one of the most advantageous In the country, and is really the best'connection between North and Southland between the wide interior and; the coast. It has every element in its favour, except one, and the want of that is fatal. It is not a " political railway," it cannot sway a number of votes in the House of Representatives, not even the vote of the member for the Thames. Even the Auckland people are apathetic, or indeed hostile, for such a Hue would undoubtedly divert a large amount of the traffic of the interior from Auckland. Thus we are abandoned, We suffer, and in a degree the whole colony suffers with us for the neglect in opening up one of the ; largest and best districts in the North Island. It is not nt all likely that Sir Donald McLean will give any consent at preseut with respect to a railway, but he might do something in regard to o, voai Ihew is large?, gum at ths

command of Ministers for the- construction of roads in the North Island, and perhaps now the Native Minister will have arrived at the conclusion that the time has come -when a road might be made to connect the Thames with the Waikato. We cannot conceive how it is that this district is so entirely neglected. Roads were commenced between Cambridge and Taupo, and after having been made for some distance the work was stopped by the natives. It was so also with the road between Cambridge and Tauranga. In these cases the Government attempted —not very hard, it is true—to carry out a road in spite of native opposition, but here, where the road is more important than either of those, above referred to, and where opposition from the natives need scarcely be anticipated, Government have never made a beginning. Here is a subject therefore on which Sir Donald might be very fitly • " interviewed," when he could hardly avoid expressing himself in plainer terms than in all probability he will, use when speaking to the natives. Then he will deal in cloudy and metaphorical lauguage, which it will puzzle us to understand, but we might succeed in getting, somethiug more definite from him'an to the intentions of the Government by tackling him on the subject of the road to Waikato, In the event of a European population being settled at Ohinemuri, .there would . inevitably be frequent intercourse with "Waikato and the interior. That opening we confidently expect soon, and it would be as well to ,ba so far! prepared as to have : the, road commenced -at once. Natives .might be employed to. keep them out of mischief. Jf Sir' Donald is really anxious 'to openthe country he cannot fail to see how greatly the construction of lines of communication to Waikato arid,'Tauranga'would contribute .to ; .this end. .Perhaps the Borough < Council might also question him about the foreshores The general Government '=say they' 'would l hand it over, but cannot owing to : the opposition of the Superintendent, and it was therefore decided to keep it pending the decease ofSuperintendentalism. But' Seeing 'that event is quite inevitable, and is ; rapidly approaching, perhaps the General Government might be got to act as if' the' province were already defunct, and pass'the land oyer to the Borough Council,, for certain specific purposes.,

[Since writing the above, we have been informed that a meeting iahto be held- ,at the, Council: Chambers this evening at seven-o'clock, of members of the Borough Council and Chairmen of Highway Boards; to arrange for an iuterview with Sir D. McLean I .]