THE RAILWAY.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4285, 25 September 1882, Page 2

THE RAILWAY.

A conference of Borough and County Councillors met at the Borough Chambers at 11 o'clock this forenoon, to.consider some telegrams received from Mr Sheehan, M.H.R., relative to a scheme for constructing the railvpay between Kopu and Te Aroha. Present —Messrs Brodie, Murdoch, Thorburn, Bull, Mennie, Speight, Carpenter, MoG-owan, Veale, Bawdep, and Osborne. Mr Brodie, County Chairman; presided.

The Chairman said the, meeting had been called conjointly between himself and the Town Clerk. How one of the telegrams from Mr Sheehan, which was marked " confidential," had appeared :in the papers he could not say. It was published in Saturday's Te Aroba Mail, to? day's Advertiser, and someone had stated in the Waikato Times also. Perhaps the first thing to be considered was whether the\Press should be admitted. If any member of. any of the local bodies' had' made use of the telegram for "publication it was not the fault of the conference. He did: not see anything in the %0~, warrant them being regardecl confidential.^ Or Speight said that the County, Chairman had brought him the telegram on Monday and he had had it in his possession the did^npt,.use r ,.it for. the r Press, as it was marked confidential. He was surprised on taking up the Te Aroba; Mai to find all the telegram published except the word, " Confidential." He copied it fromthatpaper and'; published it this morning in"tne Advertiser. There wss such a thing as journalistic enterprise but there should also" be journalistic honor.

Cr McGowan said there appeared to be something _, wrong in the rotate of Denmark.; These telegrams:?came a week ago, and now at 11.30 they were Expected to send a reply which should be receiijedf at noon. This was one of the inosV important, perhaps -the most 1 important^ matters for the district. He did noi know what infqrmatwiK|they cqulhHecc^ at'such short notice. 4 "• . '

Mr Brodie said he saw Mr Speight on Monday, the day on which the County received the telegrami 'that gentleman being nearest at hand, and asked him to dowhat he could in the matter on behalf of: theJßorpugh, as .he was going away. He saw Mr Dean on Friday after fie returned. He did not see that the County could hare done anything, 'as a. week's, notice must be given of a meeting ,?01-i that body, its members being so scattered. Cr Speigh tf said th c : - telaßram, being marked confidential Tffcoul&d:o|.n6thing; be, was not in communication with either Mr "Sheeban or Ministers.'

Cr <M^ciGfdwlftni:LJWhat is doing now could have been done then.

The Town Clerk said he did see the telegram for several days after it was received by the County, as he had to; wait instructions from the Mayor, Who was at Te Aroha, to get it. „'. „ r The telegrams^ from I Mr; were to the following effect •.—"Wellington, September., 16, 18JJ2.—Mayor, Grahams-rtown.-tr-Sen^fpllowing for confidential consideration. In first instance agents are heire with credentials which appear to me satisfactory and business ~ like ; ..they represent sereral millions English money! available for investment in public works in this colony. Theyare prepared tpibrm a company tofcaifpy! idafc<the".extension line from Kopu to 'Je Aroha upon terms similar to those, now given Kotorua and TaurabgaUiries/ viz., concessions of a certain amount of public lands and right on the part of Government to purchase the railway at a fair price at the expiration of same term as in. the .lines tioned; %Ii think the) matter *Well wortlf your consideration, as it is quite evident Government will not take up the Thames to Te Aroha line out of the present loan/ and a long time must elapse before another loan can be applied for, certainly three or four years. Similar telegrams have been sent to chairmen Thames and Piako Councils.; 5 Shall be here till about 22nd; please confer and let me know, so that if necessary may see Public Works Minister." The foregoing is the telegram which wag 4 published by the/Te Arob'a 'Mail and our morning contemporary. Another telegram says :,-•-" Will remain Here till Monday ja^eut will visit Thames. Wjillftfae" Ministers to-morsJwi; anticipate !"no difficulty re land. -Will forward further particulars afte^ interview with Ministers." . . V;' / ; .' :■' '-& In the third telegraor-Mr Sheehan said he, had found a)fnis!;ersfijdndly-:disposei|c Cr Thorburn said' J it was'five years since, he^ had been;to Waika.tp over this, railway ' business, arid' it^ was: iaow 'no further ahead. If they could not get the Government to make ft* they should welcome the company. „ Cr Thorburn's sentiments were'echoed byi the Conference. „ r . * A Resolution moved by ;Cr Speigh , and seconded by Cr McGowan, to the following effect was adopted:—-" That the Borough and Connty Councils approve of the construction of the railway from Kopu to Te* Airoha by a publb company, and will afford all assistance in their power towards the furtherance of the project." '; This resolution was despatched,to Mr Sheehan'as 'an urgent telegram ior-thwith. , A Committee consisting of the Mayor, the County Chairman, and Councillors Speight, Osborne, Murdoch and Bull was appointed to receive the representive of the capitalists, and afford him all information possible, the expense to be shared by the County and Borough. , ; A vote of thanks to the CBairmah ter« minated the proceedings.