PUBLIC MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 29 May 1873, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

A PUBLIC meeting' wa« held at Ngarimwahin yesterday " for the purpose of considering the advisability of urging upon the Government the necessity of immediately continuing the railway from Mercer through the Waifcato." Major Wilson was voted to the ohatr. In explaining the objects for which, the meeting, hod been called,. 1m «ai<3, the desirability of extending the railway to the frontier settlements admitted of little doubt. ThU might be .done immediately were not a cortain description of sleepers insisted upon. The Government engineer insisted that they should be puriri and no other timber. Totara and rata could Be procured in the neighbourhood, and would be nearly if not quite is lasting. That the railway should bo formed he felt confident everybody in the room would be unanimous. Th«y had to consider which route it would bo best for it to follow. He thought that it should undoubtedly pass through Ngaruawahia, and thence through the delta to some point on the frontier line that should be]most|guitablo fop easy extension to Toupo or Taranaki. It was evident that it ahocvld not pass along the east sido of tiro Waikato river. Th<r chairman then read the following letter received from Mr Gordon C. Y. Tisdall :— " TO THE CHAIHMAN OP TttE PI'BMC MKETINO AT NGAKCAWAIIIA TO COXSIDER TUB EXTENSION OP THE WAIKAXO BAI&WAY. " Sir,— l so strongly sympathise with the object for whirh your meeting is held that, I much regret my inability to attend. I wish ta draw the attention of your meeting, and through it to the settlers in the delta, that it is the intention of a few oaptalists- who- are interested in the east bank of tho Waikato to hare the proposed line of railway run on that side ol tb» river. If they suocrred in doing so, Xgaruawuhia, Alexandra, To Awamutu, with their surrounding districts, will be ' left out in the cold,' and the bridge so much required at Ngaruawahia will not be made. According to tho report of Mr Stewart, the Government Engineer, tho lino by Orakau was tho easiost, most direct, and central, opening and making valuable more land than any other lino ; tfco most required, a« Cambridge had a river uavigabl* at all seasons ; and that a vail way running there alongside a navigable river would not be so likoly to pay ny a line through the centre of the dolta. If your meeting take t his now of the matter, Inm sure they will got the assistance and co-operation of nearly every bona fide settUr in the dolta. — I am, &c, " Qobdox C. Y. Tisdxll. " Auburn, Alexandra, Waipa River." Mr J. Hume moveJ the fiwt resolution: — "This meeting is of opinion that the Waikato railway should be nt once extended lo the confiscation boundary" Lie thought that there could be na two opinions as to the utrowfct importance of tho work* embodied iv hi* » etiolation, whether looked ut from a purely commercial poir.t.or whether considered in its Trillions with the natho difficulty. If disturbances were unfortunately «o take place, it votild give tho Government ten tiua;> the facilities possessed at pu-seut fw tu]ipreßBh)g

them. The making of the railway would greatly enhauce the raluo of (.ho land, and be of inrnonso bonoiit iv otber j nay 3, and wjuld undoubtedly pny expeiue*. j Mr Ed^eainbe briefly sue >:ulo I. | T-io n isolation was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Mr H. Bjron moved tlio next resolution :—": — " This meeting [a of opinion that the route of the proposed railway extension should bo to Ngiruawxhia, thence through the centre of the delta, to a central point on the frontier." Ho was of opinion that the railway should first touch at the coali)iiiio3, and frjni thenco bo brought on to- Ngaruawahia, v.«*v .«* the rirer at that place, and tlion bo carriod through tbi> agricultural d'utric'.?. He thought that it should be carried nd nearly midway between [the two rivors a3 possiblo. It would bo a pity to take it along the banks of either river. It should be made, as far as possible, available for the settlers on the land that at the present time is only approachable- by land carriage. As regard* its use in quelling natire disturbadces, lie thought the exact route it should follow would affect its usefulness but little. Ho conoidered that if it were carried to any township for native purposes, that Alexandra would prob ibly prove tho most suitable. Ho pointed out (hot Aratotehe, where the kiang<i of Purukutu. is situated was about midway between Cambridge and Alexandra. Mr C. 8011, in seconding the resolution, said there could bo no doubt that the railway should be run up, the centre of the delta. It woull fora an. alditional line of operations in tho event of war, and would thus give three modes of bringing up supplies Air liolloway wished to say a few words in reference to the railway. He said that the advisability of constructing a. railway was beyond. dispute aud tbercfare required no nrgu - menfc to prove it. A good deal of stress had boon laid ou tUft use a railway be i» the event of a native war- He believed that long before the railway* could bo constructed the native difficulty will be a thing of the past. He did not, therefore, consider that probability of war was an. argument to be urged in its favour. He wished' to impress upon the meeting the absolute necessity of forcing the question on th c attention of tho Government. Railways are not constructed: because they are necessary, or likely to prove of benefit at all in. keeping with their cost. Unfortunately Mr Vogcr«i original proposition, to bate tho decision as to which rail' ways should be constructed placed in tho homfs of a non-political body, was nsgatrrud by tho House. To consent to. such a course required moro political honesty than was to be found on its benches. The Opposition were well aware that every railway refused to be constructed meant a doubtful if not adverse rote. They also-knew that many railways would be applied for which no Ministry could undertake to construct. Ho would point out, notwithstanding his belief that the question will not be dealt with on its true merits that the Waikato is the place for Auckland to- draw its supplies of grain from. If a- railway is made through the delta this will be the case, otherwise the thing, is. Lmpoi*L»Le. The heavy freight prohibits the farmer to. send- hit produce- into* the Auckland market. He was aware that at the present time the settlers do not .produce sufficient grain for their own consumption, a fact which he considered redounded little to their credit. As the Waikato farmers are at present situated, if more than sufficient gram for local consumption, were produced, we should read' of wheat being burned for fuel as has been done in other countries. Be- trusted that) the settlers would unito cordially. This was not a question that would admit of the introduction of petty jealousies. If these are introduced it is abolutoly certain that we shall get nothing- Wliot brings grist directly to any mill in a district,, must indirectly bring some to< others* Ho hoped mcetihgs would bo held in every settlement. Several gentlemen protested against the statement made by the last speaker in reference to not growing sufficient grain for their own consumption. They explained that it required time to prepare land for wheat, which most of our farmero have not yet had. Mrllarris moved th« following resolution : — "This meeting is of opinion that a petition to the Bouse of Representatives should bo immediately prepared, and that Major Wilson, Messrs Kume, Byron, and Hollowny be a committet to draw up the petition and procure signatures. Seconded by Mr George Edgecnnibr r and carried unaninously. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.