The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 592, 7 March 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all raen,| Ot whatever sta'eor pertuanou, religiwuor politic* * * « * * Herr shtll thoPre«T the Proprs's right munUin. Unaweil by influence and unbnbed by gain.

TUESDA V, MAtICH V1876.

The fear expressed by our Whata Whatu Correspondent on Tuesday, that shduld the Government proceed with the ro-construc-tion of the Waitetuna bridge, as advertised, the expenditure ou that work tna\ prove a Rturabling block to the change 01 route of load so necessary to the pros perity of both R glan ond Wliata Whata, and indirectly to that of the whole Wlllkato district, is not without cause. Th Dietfict it "will be Been ha^ advertised the extension of time ' for re ceiving tenderß for the re-construction of the bridge to the 13th inst, and would doubtless if the matter were fairly represented to him Still further extend it bo a.to give time for action in the matter of the new roal between Raglan and Waipa. The Raglan and ' Waipa road has been fcr so long a time a matter of talk that people have come somehow to look at i as a problem to be solved -alone with thai of perpetual motion or the squaring oi the circle, but 'recent 'explorations havi shown beyond doubt that an easier, Bhorter, and less costly road to construct an<' keep in repair, exists than the old and practically useless one. 'Unfortunately there is a "want of 'unanimity amongst the Raglan settlers therr selves as to which is the best of the newly proposed' lines of route, and we'wbuW urge 'upon them to come to some conclusion on this matter definitely and at once. So ' long as this remains unsettled there is an excuse for neglect on the part of the Government. A short time since, we- leans, Capt JohaBtone, Mr T B Hill, and others, were engaged in exploring a track for a dray road between .Raglan atid Whata Whdta. hut opinions as to its merits were divided and a second exploration — probably undertaken by this time — was to be made t<« have a second look at it and to visit other points in the ranges which various natives bad recommended as the most practicable. Now, surely this is a matter which might have been, as it ought to hare been settled before now. There is little enough doubt, as our Correspondent suggests, mit that the Government if they once go to the expense of le-conatructiug the Waitetuna bridge, the most expensive work upon Ihe road, will make the line of road subservient to the new work, and there fore thbre'isall the more necessity foi at once coming to some settled decision as to the beat of the rival lines. A late Wellington telegram infbrme.l us that Sir Donald McLean was expected at once to start for Auckland, aud on his arrival there, as we some tune since mentioned, one of his first movements will he to visit the Waikato in company with His Excellency the Governor. There would then be a very suitable opportunity for bringing this toa'.tor defuitely lefore the

Govururw3nt, aud we would hu^ge-it us a | suitable means of doin^ so, that the Chairmen of the Highway Bjardh iv the Raglan and "Wdipu dit>ti lets tntei Gated in t:ie Haglan and Wnipa road should come over to Hamilton, and, acrjomp.inied bv thememberfor the dibtrie , Mr Cox, fortti ft deputation to wait upon the Native Minister and confer with him on the matter. We are quite Miro that there is nothing which is calculated to advance the prosperity and permanent hettlbmoufc of the Waikato which will not receive the Twuifcy co-opera-tion and assistance of Sir Donald Me Lean. None sliould know thi.s bettor than the Waikato beitlers themselves, and no better mode could be adopted for bringing the necessity of the undertaking to the notice of the Government or ot shewing tho importance attached to it by the inhabitants of the district than the course we now suggest. Of all members of the.j ministry, moreover, tbe Native Minister j it» the most appropriate to 'be interviewed on each a sabject, for in a stragotic point of view the construction of any easy road between Raglan find the settled districts of Waikato is a matter of no little importance. But this, however, is only a secondary question. The isolation of Raglan and Aotea from the rest of the district has been a loss which it is hard, to estimate though tbe cause of it, jealousy on the part of Auckland, is not far to seek. Auckland dreads tho possession by the Waikato district and the rich land beyond it, which must hltimately become settled county, of a seaport outlet of their own, and hence the studied neglect of Raglan, and Waikato interests in thi.s matter of inland communication