The Future.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3765, 21 January 1881, Page 2

The Future.

The following very sensible remarkt upon the future of this district appear from the Thames (^respondent of the Herald: —

Perhaps there never was a time when the future prosperity of the Thames was more assured than at the present. time, although, really just now the t^wn is suffering from one of thc:a periods of depression which ore bo common in goldmining district:. It is very certain, however, th»fc the ultimate prcaperity of the ptece does not depend so much on the succc33 of the mines in its immtdiato vicinity £3 in the settlement of the magnificent traofc of country lying along the b inks of the Thames and Waihou Rivera, and the establishment of new mining com* munitic3 along the range? which extend from the Thames beyond Te Aroha on the one side, and beyond Oororoandel on the other, comprising one vast and continuous roofing- system* The mineral- resource 3of the hills in the vicinity of the j Tnames are undoubt.?ily very great, and i will always add very matarially k> the ; wealth of the place, and consiqueutly should never be despised, bat if it was to look to this souiv: 1 only for its prc^paiity in the future, it must be admitted that the Thames for a very long period would never attain fc > the aj^j; of an ordinary tjv£> Happily, nowerer," the own is so situ its.!, and is. so supplied with facilities f.»r constructing a large, convenient, and safe harbour, that; ultimately, an & that too bsfore any groat lapse of time, the whole of the produce of tbe largo and fertile plains extending from the Ohinemuri ju action to the head of the Waihou must find an outlet through it. The truth is, the course of the Waihou indicates the true outlet for the produce of the vast plains of the Upper Thames Valley, and the geographical featurej are such that no amount of engineering skill will be able to divert the traffic from these plains in an; other direction. The present time is one of fpecial interest to the Thame3, and t*te events which are now occuring in the T&ames Valley are such co will have a considerable effect upon it 3 future. The opening of the Te Aroha goldfiald has not only attracted a number of miners to that district, but it has also induced many others who have little or no interest in gold-mining to visit the district, and these cannot but be impressed with the excellent quality of the laad and the extensive field it offers for agricultural pursuits. Through this means the resources of this magnificent district, of which hitherto but little was really kaown,i>aro being brought to li^ht, and now the wonder is that with so many natural advantages tbe districD has maae co little progress. There can be little doubt that the Thames Valley is now receiving that touch which will ere long lift it above the Bhadow of obscurity under which it has been ljiog for so long, and gire ifc such an impulse that ere many months are gone it will begin to assume that position in the agricultural districts of New Zealand which it ought to have occupied long ago. The prospects of the immediate rapid progress of the Thames Valley renders it more necessary that the Thames local bodies should be alive to all the benefits which would tend to secure the full advantage of these benefits. Now, more than ever, should the necessity of improving the river navigation be urged upon the Government. The agitation on behalf of main roads and telegraph lines should be maintained, and never - for one moment should the necessity of constructing a railroad from the Thames to the district to | the head of the Waihou be lost sight of, and no opportunity should be - missed of urging upon the Government the immediate commencement of this work. There never wa» a time wb»n stronger arguments could be urged in favour of it, and constant and iaceMant application must eventually take effect. ■