Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4050, 21 December 1881, Page 4

Proopectus mHAMES VALLEY AND ROTOI RUA RAILWAY COMPANY (LIMITED). 1 Nominal Capital, £400,000, in 400,000 shabes op £1 each. provisional dibbctok3 : Hon. James Williamson, Chairman. J. L. Campbell, Esq., M.D. F. D. Rich, Esq. - Wm. Crush Daldy,Esq. E. F. Boche, Esq. Jai.MoCoeh Clark, Esq. Thos. Peacoik, Esq. Bobert Graham, Essq K. B. Wnlkcri-:\Esq. James Dilworth, Esq. Wm. Aitkon, Esq., George Holdship, K*q. Nga Huruliuru Joseph Howard, Hsq Petera Pukua'ua John Wilson, Esq. Hcncre Pukuatua Ihoß. Morrin, Esq. Rotohiko Haupapa Wm.lnnesTaylor,Eeq W. Muihi Te Rangiknheke O. J. Stone, Esq. Arokalera Te Worn A.W.F.Halcombe,E»q.Era Pairaoi ( •';:■ f .--:. ■ Bakkeks : ; Bank of New Zoaland. Solioixobs: Messrs Jackson and Russell, Forl 'street, Auckland. Engineer: J. Stewart, Esq., M.lnst. C.E,, late District Engineer. Intebim Secretary: Jas. Stewart, Esq., C.E. The proposed railway will be about seventyfour miles in length, and commences at a point on the HamiltQn-Thameß Railway, near 1 the town of Morrinsville. From this point it runs southward through the centre of the great valley of the Upper Thames, by a very " easy route, for adistance of thirty-five milr| 5 : it then mounts to the, wooded plateau which divides the Upper jThames and Taurang* districts; from this it descends, by an easy route, to its terminus at^thettpwn of Ohinemutu, making a further distance of thirtynine, ffiiles.. This completes an unbroken chain of railway communication between the city of Auckland and the Hot L»ke district, which is the central point of attractioa for tonrirti to New Zealand. The cost of the lice has been estimated— after exploratidn-rby Jas, Stewart, Esq , late District Bngineerj to be £2000 per mile for the first section of thirty-five miles ; of the /*remainder; twenty-four miles will cost £3000 per toiled 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 stocks of *209,600» The cost of buildiDgs and rolling* ■tock is estimated at £38,000, making a total cost ef £247,500. It is proposed to construct the Railway in two sections ; the first section of thirty-eight milei under the provisions of "The District lUilway* Act, 1877," by which, on approval by the Government, the Colonial revenue is - security for interest pn the cost of construction and equipment, not exceeding 2. percent .-. and theneighbouringlands (rated in proportion to the "'benefits derivable from the construction of the line) are liable for interest not exceeding a further five per pent., thus giving a oertain interest of 7 per cent, on the investment, even if the line itself only pays working expenses. The majority of l»nd holders abutting on this section have expresied their willingness that their properties ■hall be brought under the operation of " The District Railways Act, and the Amendment Aot, 1878." For the construction of the lecdnd section, passing, as it does mainly through native lands, wlich it is not possible <•■ to bring under ", The District Railways Acts," it is proposed to work, if pO8»ib!o, under the " Eailways 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 lauds as are available as an endowment. In this caae only 28,000' acres are available, Bituated' in the Patetere Country. 'This would not be a •ufficiint endowment, without rating powers, to warrant the construction of this section of v the line, but the native proprietors have, in addition, agreed to give a considerable area of laad to the Company. It ib also proposed that the Company should acquire, by pur- ; chase,'a, further portion of native lands 1 adjacent46'theline, which m«y be expected to be largely increased in value by its construction ; and with thia view, the Capitol of .. the Company has been fixed at v sum euili- ■ cieht to include such purchases, By. this means, it is hoped the construction of the second lection may be undertaken almost •imultaneously 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 ctrideß made during the last few years in the Upper Thames and Waikato districts Bhow 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 tie colony. The projected railway will open up an area of from 1,500.000 to 2,000,000 of acres of available land, a large portion' ready for immediate occupation, but at present wholly anoccupied, owing partly to the want of means of communication, and partly to the fact that a portion of ttiis territory lias but recently bßen acquired from the native owners. The settle jnent 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 sources of supply towards a railway traffic which agricultural and pastoral settlement of the country affords, there are special teasont 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 Distriot are taking aotive steps .towards the immediate \ colonisation, by comparatively •mall holders, of the whole of the'lands they have acquired, or are acquiring, through the agency of a powerful company in England. The importations consequent on tho introduction, of a large population casnot fail to be tery considerable during the firßt yeara of their settlement. - Again, the line in its course to Ohinemutu, taps a valuable forest of mag nificent timber, from which—as soon as the line 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, the Urge arid ever i increasing stream of tourists'"visiting New Zealand from all parts of the world, attracted by the wonders of Ohinemutu' and Rotoraahana, will certainly prefer to use this line of railway, which will convey them easily in one short day from the City of Auckland to the Hot Springs, by an easy, and most interestiug route, thus ginng to the line the exceptional advantage of a large passenger traffic at once, quite irrespective of the ordinary passenger traffic of the country. ; . It may also be pointed out that for a distance of fully forty miles the line proposed must; at a future and no fair distant da' c, form part of the main line Connecting Auckland with.Napier and Wellington, through the interior of the island. - Regarding the traffic which may he expected,, a comparison may be made with the existing line in Auckland. Seeing that ou (beta linep there are many miles of unpraduo-