THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3717, 23 November 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1880.

Thames people will anxiously watch the progress of events at the Te Aroha Goldfield, as many hope that one of the results of its proving a success would be the construction of the Thames Valley railway. If the Te Aroha goldfield should turn out the El Dorado that we fervently hope it will, it is a certainty that to meet the public demand, a better and quicker means of communication between the field and the rest of the world than at present exists will hare to be supplied. It is no use mincing matters. If the people of the Thames are to derive any direct benefit from the Te Aroha, it is an imperative necessity that the Thames Valley railway should become a matter of fact. If the new goldfield is only conneoted by rail with Hamilton the benefit of the new goldfield to the Thames will be very trifling, in fact we are almost disposed to believe that it will do us a positive injury. Now is the time, and every nerve should be strained, and every endeavor made to get the line constructed. If the Govern* ment cannot be induced to vindioate the pledge of the colony to the people of the Thames, we are of opinion that' the old plan of the construction of a line under the District Railways Act should be reverted to. If Messrs Morrin and the other capitalists were willing to advance the money to make the line two years ago, surely they will be equally willing now when the prospects of the district to be traversed by the line have so materially improved. The Waikato people are donning their armour to fight for the construction of the line at their end, and if the people of the Thames are behind, they will always regret their inertness. Writing on the subject the Waikato Times of a recent date says:— "It is from this district that the supplies for a centre of population, or indeed any considerable congregation of individuals on the Waihou Biver would principally

be drawn. ... It is right, in view

of this,- that we should bethink ourselves of endeavoring to obtain the best possible means of communication with the valley of the Thames, by urging on the construction of the Waikato-Thames railway, at least as far as the Waihou "River, together with the important branch to Cambridge. . . . . Under ordinary conditions, we could afford to bear with a good grace to wait for better times, but in view of the probable existence of a good payable goldfield on the line of route special effort might be put forth to complete a railway, which, in the natural order of things might be expected to yield a handsome return on the capital invested. The total length of the line up to the point we have indicated would be considerably under 25 miles, and of the formation at least 13 miles, Hunt and White's contract, have been done. The formation has indeed been made up to within three miles of Morrinsville, and there exists no engineering difficulties between that point and the Waihou." We recommend the Railway Committee to call a meeting, and devise some means to further the railway project.