A BRIDGE TO CROSS THE WAIKATO AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 622, 16 May 1876, Page 2

A BRIDGE TO CROSS THE WAIKATO AT HAMILTON.

Sm,~ Sometime back a Urge and influential mooting of Bottlers of the Wuikato was hold ia Huniilton, (Mr Alfred Cox in the ohair), at which a resolution was piwseii— " That a petition be presented to the General Government praj ing they would came » sufficient amouat to bo plaoeJ upon the eatiuutet for the eroction of a bridge here." At that meeting it was nhown by Captain Steele, Messrs Seddon, Hammond, and othori, that the inconvenience and lorn sustained by tha towmhtp and genoral publio through the inadequacy of the punt to the deraund* made apoa ib was very great. They also showed the necesiity that existed for a bridge at the present time and the increasing demand by the rapid advancraent of the diitrict iUalf, and tke actual settlement of the Piaktf and other lands beyond its border. Ihe petition having beeu duly forwarded— the roply was unexpected—" That the Government had no funds at their disposal for such aa undertaking." My object la writing is to submit a proposition through the columns of your journal to build a subitantial bridge orer the viver Waikato without pecuniary aid from the Government. The township proper of Hamilton East it bounded by land not alienated from the Crown forming the town belf, and being confiscate! ltmds, not in any way trammelled ky provincialism, the area of which is 500 acres more or less, lhese lands in place of lying as at present in a pmaative state, coyered with ti-tree a«d fern, and a blot surrounding tht township, yielding no return, I would request the Gorernraent to make over to the Town Board, or Oommissionerg specially appointed for the purpoie, to lay out in allotments or sections «f greater or less extent, with a yiew to letting them upon improvise leases, and actual occupation, by " Public l.i>\ tioa," for certain period* (same as property vested in the Borough of Auckland}. The proceeds of these would yied a large aanual revenue, more than sufEcient to guarantee, the interest and sinking fund for an •mount sufficient to build & aubstantial bridge orer the rivsr, the ■residue could be devoisd to tho making and metalling the roadj through the propertie* as ia plan of survey. These lands upon occupatioa would then be a Taluable addition to the iooal •rates. lam inclined to believe the projeot would; be favourably received by the present government — inasmuch that for educational purposes, they granted the allotraeati in the Township marked off as school reiervei to tke Superintemdent of Auckland j also more recently they advertised for ! tom buBh r . eiftrTe « adjoining the Hamilton West township boundary, with a vioir to purchase, to give in place of lands taken up foe railway purposes through tho property of Mourn Williamson and Cox. Tho benefit a bridge wonld confer upon the whole of the Waikato, and the country adjoinrag, at the point indicated, I will leave to readier and abler pens than mine to depict. Sufficient lor mi to say, in my humble judgment, that it would be only second in importance to a branch, railway through the district. If, Sir, these ideas aro deemed of sufficient importance by the inhabitants of Hamilton, riako and other districts, for their consideration, in furtherance of so desirable an undertaking as a bridge, I ih*U consider I have not wasted mv time in indicating such a mode of procedure.— I am, &c, Albbbt JPoitbb. Hamilton, Slay 10th, 187(1.

JESDAY, MAY 16, 18?6.