THURSDAY June 15 1876.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 635, 15 June 1876, Page 2

THURSDAY Ju ne 15 1876.

The residents of Hamilton and tho people of Waikato lune, for a -long time ,past, begged and prayed the authorities for a bridge at Hamilton, and the event of Tuesday, which wo uarr.it c clscwheic, shows that they havo reasonable ground for their demand. How it is that a sooie of biidg-c«, some of more and some of lees cost than that at Hamilton would amount to, have beun erected by the Government in places in. the Colony where neither tho position nor tho traffic call half as urgeutly for thorn, whilo Hamilton and Waikato are passed by, \v« are at a loss to conceive. Tins is not the first occasion on which a serious accident has nearly occurred in the same place for want of ,a bridge, though tho first, perhaps, in wliich a newspaper proprietor and Editor have been among- the escapees, and therefore it is more heard of. The next time we find ourselves in a similar position, it will, we trust, be in company with a member of Assembly or two, an ex-governor, or some other of the larger species of for natura 1 to bo found in the Colony. The smashing up of some htilf-a*dozen small fry would certainly not be as productive of reform in this matter as the compound fracture of tho leg 1 or coilaibone ot one of these larger animals. Joking apart, it is high time that tho Government saw to this .matter. The sum for which the ferry tolls were leased a fortnight ago, £350 for tho year, shows unmistakably tho amount of ti attic that exists, and which is rapidly and steadily increasing. The other river settlements in Waikato bavo their bridges built, and rebuilt when required, at tho cost of the Government ;but, Hamilton, wliich is tho very heart of tho Waikato, throagh which all land traffic passes, is left without one, and told that very soon the local authorities will be in a position to tax themselves and undertako tho work. Now, this is not, wo think, treating" the district as it fairly deserves to be "treated at the hands of tho Government of the Colony. Waikato coutril utes largely to Ihe general revenue. Her bcUlers and their lands will havo to bear a large share of the lesponsibility of borrowed millions, but she Ins, perhaps, deiived less direct benefit irom the money expended by the Public Works JJopartHient of JNew Zealand than any other district of similar jue.i and importance in tho Colony. We would earnestly impress upon tlio Government-, and upon our members of Assembly w huso duly it is to nr»o such matters on then* notice, the, great 10.5.s and inconwuiunui! which the public Miller from the w .nit ol tin. 1 biirlgu aci'jss iho Waikato lii\ei at this point. Jts ahsonte is a serious hiiiilr.iuic to si'llluiuunt, and is felt, as wo havo bet'ouj .shewn, not nit lily by Iho settlers mom iiijin* diuiuly Jiving in and about Hamilton, on cither side of the iuci, but b.j the largo and growing diiUi''t t'f I'uiko ami thp upcountiy t>(.Uluinonlb ot W'.ukalo itself. i\ early a

yea i' ayo, wlu'u .1 |mlih • mct'ting o-i tin* ' siilijuH was ht'ltl m Ifnniilto:), it v.ss aUciulcd by si'tflcis lioin a'l puts «1" tie "W.iiloit.i, ami tlioso fnmi :i , distinoo wi'ic cr{ ui'ly urgent in ])n^->iny !(Ol\\.ilcl till' IIIOMJ'.IUMIfc MS tllO SfttlcTS of the Uannlhm d^iict tlipniK-Uo-s. Tlio mutter i.» one nf vcrv cuiicri'S), nn.l wo ciiui«fc hut t'link that the ]K'O|jlc of W.fikato have a. t'u'i 1 claim upon t lie Culoiiiul (Jovonnnciit. nut to be incu ly nllowt'd io put up a brid^o at their own * co-it, bill, to h:uo thia lnipoitunt public uoik, wliich would boni^it the sutilovs from CjiMli.iiv.stowu to Alex.uidra, and an immense tmct of liabituUlo country, piocccdetl with from thu yeiioral fuuds of the f'olony. The dibtiict h;i3 loiiij ])Ms<.ed that stage wheu it can bo either .idcqatcly or safply sewed with mere i'erry accoiamodHtioi).