Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4041, 10 December 1881, Page 4

Pi o. p3 c tvs mHAMES VALLEY AND ROTO X RUA RAILWAY COMPANY (LIMITED). Nominal Capital, £400,000, in 400,000 shabeß of £1 each. PBOVISIONAIi DIBEOTQBS S Hon. James Williamson, Chairman. J. L. Campbell, E?q., M.D. F. D. Rich, Eaq. Wm. Crush DaMy.Epq. E. F. Koohr, Esq. Jas.McCoßb Clark, Esq. Tim?. Pearwk, Esq. Robert Grahnm, Eaq K. B. W^ker, Esq. James Dilworth, Efq. Wm. Aiifeen, Eeq. George Holdship, tteq. Ng« Huruhnru Joseph Hownrd, E?q Pet-era Pukuatua John Wilson, Eeq. Henere Pukuatua Thos. Morrin, Eeq. Rotohiko Haupapa Wm.lnnes Taylor, Esq. W. Moibi Te Rangikaheke 0. J. Stone, Epq. Arekatera Te Wera A.W.F.Halcombe.Esq.Era Paimoi Bankehs: Blink of New Zealand. Soucitobs : Messrs Jackson and Russell, Fort atreet, Auckland. Enginebb : J. Stewart, Fsq., M. Inst. C.E., late District Engineer. Intkeim Sboeetabx: Jas. Stewart, Esq., C.E. The proposed railway will be about seventyfour miles in length, &yd commences at a point on the Hamilton-Thames Railway, near the town of Morrinsville. From this point it tuns southward through the centre of the great valley of the Upper Thames,-by a very easy route, for a distance of thirty-five miles j it then mounts to the wooded plateau which divides the Fpper Thames and Tauranga districts; fnm t.'iis it descends, by an easy route to its terminus at the town of Ohinemulu, making a further distance of thirtynine miles. Tbis completes an unbroken cha'n of railway communication between the city of Auckland and the Hot Lake district, which is the central point of attraction for tourists to New Zealand. The cost of the Hce has been estimated— after exploration~by Jae. Stewart, Esq., late District Engineer, to be £2000 per mile for the first section of thirty-five miles ; of the remainder, twenty-four miles will cost £3000 per mile, and the remaining fifteen miles, about £4500 per mile; making a total cost for construction (of the class of the Government railways, and exclusive of rolling stock) of £209,500. The cost of buildings and rollingstock is estimated at £38,000, making a total cost of £247,500. It is proposed to construct the Railway in i two sections ; the first section of thirty-eight miles under the provisions of " The District Railways Act, 1877," by which, on approval by the Government, the Colonial revenue is security for interest on. the cost of construction and equipment, not exceeding 2 percent., and the neighbouring lands (rated in proportion to ihe benefits derivable from the construction of ti.e line) are liable for interest rot exceeding a further five per cent., thus giving a certain interest of 7 per cent, on the invaetment, even if the line itself only pays working expenses. The majority of l»nd holders abut* ing on this section have expresed their willingness that their properties shall be brought under the operation of " The District Railways Act, and the Amendment Act, 1878." For the construction of the second seotion,- passing, as it does mainly through native lands," w>ich it is not possible to bring under " The District Railways Acts," it is proposed to work, if possible, under the " Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881." By this Act, the Colonial Government is empowered to contract with a Company for the construction of this Railway, among ' others, and to grant such lands as are available as an endowment. In this case only 28,000 acres are available, situated in the Patotere Country. This would not be a sufficient endowment, without rating powers, to warrant the construction of this section of the line, but the native proprietors have, in addition, agreed to give a considerable area of land to the Company. It is also proposed that the Company Bhould acquire, by purchase, a furfher portion of native lands adjacent to the line, which may be expected to be largely increased in value by ita construction ; and with tbia view, Ihe Capital of , the Company has been fixed at a sum sufficient to include such purchases. By this means, it is hoped the construction of the second section may be undertaken almost simultaneously with the first. The prospects of immediate and very considerable traffic on the line are as good, or better, than can be shown on any new line in New Zealand. The rapid strides made during the last few years in the Upper Thames and Waikato districts show that the country has a power of production and of supporting a large population in proportion to its area—equal to almost any other part of tbe colony. The projected railway «ill open up an area of from 1,500.000 10 2,000,000 of acres of available land, a large portion ready for immediate occupation, bat at present wholly unoccupied, owiDg partly to the .want of means of commumoation, find partly to the fact that a portion of .t:i£s territory has but recently been acquired from the native owners. The settle ment of this extensive area must necessarily, for some years to come, create a very large import traffic, and year by year, as settlement progresses, the export traffic of grain, stock, and other produce must also increase to very large dimensions. But, independently of the ordinary b mixes of Bupply towards a railway traffic which agricultural and pastoral settlement of the country affords, there are special reaeons which justify the expectation of an unusually rapid development of a varied, extensive, and paying business on this line, It is now generally known that the purchasers of the lands known as the Patetere District are taking active steps towards the immediate colonisation, by comparatively small holders, of the whole of the lands they h»ve ncq.iired, or are acquiring, through tbe agency of a powerful company in England. Ihe importations consequent on the introduction of a large population cannot fail to be very considerable during the first years of their settlement. Again, the line in its course to Ohinemutu, taps a valuable forest of magnificent timber, from which—as soon as the liße is completed so far —the whole of the Upper Thames and Waikato districts will undoubtedly draw their supplies of timber for house building, fencing, and fuel; and last, but certainly not least, tbe Urge and ever increasing stream of tourists visiting New Zealand Irom all parts of the world, attracted by the wonders of Obinemutu and Rotomahana, will certainly prefer to use this line of railway, which will convey them easily in one short day from the City of Auokland to the Hot Springs, by an easy and most interesting route, thus giving to the line the exceptional advantage of a large passenger traffio at once, quite irrespective of the ordinary passenger traffic of the country. It may also be pointed out that for a distance of folly forty miles the line proposed must, at a future and no far distant da'e, form part of the main lino connecting Auckland with Napier and Wellington, through the interior of the uland. Regarding the traffio wbioh may he expected, a comparison may be made with the existing line in Auckland. Seeing that ou • theia Ijusi thws are many miles of unprodce-