The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 670, 28 September 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justico to all men. Of whatever mate 01 periuasioii, rcligioui or political » * * * • Here shall the Prcsi the People'^ right mrtmfain. TJnaweil by influence and nnbribed by gain.

rrfOJtSDAY SfiPTHMBTZR 28 IS7«.

Will another session bo allowed to pass, we. wonder, and nothing be done in the matter of the long talked o£ much needed, Thames Railway? In iS73, the Minister for Public Works, Mr K!chardson,.onnbunced that a flying survey had been made of the line between the Thames and Waikato, to connect with the truuk line running Southward, but stated, that he would not ask for the money for its construction until the route to bo taken by the main line South of Newcastle had been determined upon. That route has not only beea since determined, but tho line more or less completed as far south ns Ohaupo, and tho route to the frontier even has been fixed. Still, the Thames Valley railway is as mnch a thing of tho future as it was when the Minister for Public* -Works made his Statement to the .Honso in 1873. Nay, more, we may go so far as to suppose tlmtifc is further off than ever, as far as the Government is concerned, for the latter now finds that it liaa fally -nsinucli as iC can undertake in the completion of the trunk lines. Lot ns' then boldly accept the position, and face the difficulty. Tho Thames and Waikato railway is a, .branch line, and the Government cannot, therefore, undertake the work, having enough on its hands already. Is this, however, a reason that the work should go undone — that a large and important diatriot which is almost daily attracting- fresh population, and which comprises some- ol the finest gracing 1 and agricultural land' in tho North Island, should be left for all practical pu eposes pf settlements iso'ated from, surrounding' districts, to struggle on as best it may. If the Gorerument cannot grapple with .the work, let them frankly confess us much, "and give .such -facilities us they -can to those \v\)o will itmdertake it. This time last year there was a report, which wont" the Lroniftl of 'ihe^ Pi'ess, that the Messi4 ißrogden tvero prepared to <construcfc a railway between (Jrahtimstowu and Walk h to, in consideration of a grant of land being made to them, but nothing came of it. Shortly afterwards, in tho seshi'ou 6f 1875, a bill, which became Llw, whs introduced into the. Assembly by the. .Minister of Public Wui'ks, to enable Joint Stock Com- ,

■■:in>P, fonnod fji- that pnrprsi', to | co'isU'ucl/a'nrl m, tint tin branch rail- \ w «va lv Iho Oj'oiu. Tio act vanned io-^vu have not spa.-o on t!upvt'b&it oc^isin-i to ji-iut out the •many instances in which it does bo — leans far too much lo the interests'' of the (lovenimeut as against a doiupa'ny, in tn ifcters of control; and detail, to render it acceptable to capitalists as it stands. The Act, however, is open to amendment, and some of the more stringent conditipng v ti\ay all ,the more readily- be i-elnxed in favour of capitalists, undertaking such works, as the' Government is further off than ever from 'all probability of being in a position, itself, to enter upon them. Of the special work we now .refer to, the Thames and Waikato* railway, there is abundant evidence,- net only that it would pay a company handsomely for the outlay of construction, but, that that construction would I>o com pa ratively easy. There are no engineering difficulties in the way, while valuable timber for railway and other purposes is to be met upon it, nnd ballasting of the best quality can bo procured from the Grahamstown and Hamilton ends in any quantity. From Kaueranga at the Grabanistown end the line as recorded by the Government Engineer, Mr Simpson, runs over a succession of fern plains and swamps, passing through throe small bushes during the first thirty miles to the Thames crossing. The whole of this distance is practically level, and the gwamps are oasily drained where 'the line crosses them. Brora the Thames crossing to Hamiltom is. another thirty miles, all fiat land, except the Gorgo at Te Awa, Waikato. Here, there would be some 6000 yards of cutting, bu(T that is all upon the entiro length of sixty miles and the swamps require no further drainage than the ditch on either side tke line. This latter half the line runs along fho higher or south side of the great G2,000 acre swamp. Little more than half the extent of Una mentioned would, however, meet the requirements of the case. If the Grahamstown and Tararu line were extended a clstnnce of three miles to Kopu, the Thames river, itself, could be made use of to the Thames crossing above alluded to, and a line of thirty miles from that point into Hamilton would connect Grahamstown, by steam, with Waikato, and, so with Auckland and, as the trunk line advances, with points further southward. The point whero the surveyed line of i ail way crosses the Thames river, is some five miles below the rapids, near Te Aroha. The stream from that point down to Kopu is admirably adapted for steamers of 2£ feet diaft. The current is only two knots, and the bends of the river are sufficiently easy. So that, indeed, a railway of thirty miles only in length, over nearly all level land, would afford an outlet by itoum carriage, partly by land, partly by water, to the large extent of country traversed. But, it would do more than this, for, it would bring Waikato into direct communication with Grahamstown, and give to the one district a market for its produce, and to the other supplies which, at an enhanced expense, are imported from dutsido tho Province, and even Colony. Since the above was in type the following has appeared in the " Thames Advertiser," " A gentleman who takes a deep intorest in j the Thames Valley Railway question, observing some reference made in ' the newspapers to a correspondence between Mrs Bi'ogden and the Provincial Government, took step 3 to investigate the matter.' With this object he communicated with Mr J Billing, general manager -for Messrs Brogden at Wellington. In reference to the corresjMftdencej Mr Billing, in the most comrteous manner, inquired into tlw matter, and informed the gentleman that the correspondence was, he believed, of a semi private character between Mr Hondereon (a partner of tho . firm) and the Superintendent of Auckland, of which there was no record in Mb ■ office, but thaf, to the best of his belief Mr Eeader Wood had discouraged the scheme. The gentleman asked Sir Billing- to search out the correspondence if possible and forward it to the Thames, and this Mr Billing kindly undertook to do, and on Friday the following important .reply was received :-^-Wellington, September 22. The correspondence referred to 1 advocated payment in land. Our firm would agree to construct on' guaranteed interest. — J Billing." We believe the interest sought is six per cent, and Sir George Grey had, no doubt, lathis offer in view when he alluded to the soheme at the Theatre Royal, ; .and again when he gave notice to \ introduce a bill on the subject before < the Assembly."