The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4284, 23 September 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1881.

A , conference,-of the Borough and County Councils will >; be held on Monday relative fo a communication about the construction of .the railway from Kopu to Te Aroha received from Mr John Sheehan; member for this district. ' The form these proposals take has not been made public, but no doubt they will be based upon the Railway Construction and Land Act, 1881, which says :— " Whenever a company has been formed for any of the purposes authorised by this Act, the Governor in Council may, on tbe'app'lication of the company, forthwith cause a sufficient area of Crown lands for a distance not exceeding fifteen miles on each side such proposed line of railway, or, if there shall not be any or sufficient land on each side, then upon one sideof the proposed line of such to be withdrawn from sale. If there is not any or sufficient Crown land adjoining the line of railway, then Crown land in the neighborhood of the line, or which is or will be benefited by the construction of the railway, shall be, set aside in such places as shall be provided in the contract; and the.preceding^.provisions so far as applicable shall apply, except that it shall be entitled-to the whole, .land so with>

drawn, "bo - long' a» the same does hot exceed the' quantity agreed, to be granted.-' > We have before us •agreements made with the Government for' the construction of two railways under this Act, viz., the Kaihu Valley Railway, extending from the Wanoa Hirer north of the confluence of the Eaihu Rivers, thence up the Kaihu Valley, a distance of 19| miles, estimated to cost £3000 a mile, and the Tauranga, East Coast and Hot Lakes Eailway, estimated to cost £5000 per mile, each to be constructed within five years. These lines, however, were in this position, that there was' ample land available on the route or in the neighborhood 1 of the proposed course. ■ Now we believe .that capitalists could be. found-to undertake the construction of the Thames railway were land sufficent given as security. But, unfortunately, no. great quantity is ayailable for this line, so that apparently there is a stumbling block in the way, f' It has been asserted, but we do not know with what degree of truth, that by legislation

during the past session G-overnm"nt may set aside sufficient land situated elsewhere (or the purpose. Let us hope that it "is -so. Here are lines which were never thought of a year ago in a fair way to be started, while the Thames Valley fiailway, which has been agitated I for during the past ten years, which ha? I been admitted by Ministers and exMinisters of both parties to be a necessary work, and a measure of justice to this district; aud which was actually begun by one ministry, is apparently,as far off as ever. However, one ray of hope yet -remains, and that is, that should no provision exist for taking lands elsewhere, for the purpose of the railway, it may be provided for by legislation next session.