THAMES – WAIKATO RAIL WAY.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 801, 4 August 1877, Page 2

THAMES - WAIKATO RAIL WAY.

Ihe following is the draft of the petition now beiog numerously signed by thCambridge settlers :— " Toe Honorable the House of Representatives of New Zealand m Parliament > assembled : - ' . "The petition of the undersigned resilents m Cambridge, Waikato, humbly showed ihaC m the 1873, under the | authority of the Government, a flying survey of a line for a proposed railway to connect the Thames country with Waiiiiil.o, was made 'by the late Mr Daniel -■uxpsju, whose report was to the effect, .liafc -uca a work could be easily and iij^xp ■ s voly construced eicher to Camb,u,u o^ ilauiiitou, aud that theountry . rou^u' which it vvould p*ss is for the idsX, part ue.if y lerel, buc although the arv.-yor's re ore w^a thus favourable, tuu our expectations m consequence 4 ieugihene>i, tnat tbis line would be ..( pud by iiie Executive, and reoominoiiued lo your Honoraole House for immediate or early constructioa. Since Due >tattf of thai survey, all Waikato, and >nore especially tu'at portion of it aroawd and beyond Cambridge, has received i iiga additijna to its numbers of settlers, and great oroadths of land have been oroughi under subjection. £h» popula> lution of ttie Ihiuiea, and m the interveuing country, including Ohinemuri, Piako, &c, his aUo extauded and iucrraaed considerably m weaUU and uumbers, but the dilfioultiea of intercommunioacioa between the extreaie3 and fro m p ine to poiut iatervening, remain almost .is tlicy were. Population has increased, ve^ith has been introduced, but t;ie cnannds for traffic and commeroiAi intercourse have not beeu widened. " A. line of about 54 miles would connect Upyer W*ik*io with the Thame< feuinsula, an i would afford to its producers cheap and rapid access to that large market of consumers, whereas at sent the iacreaaed . and rapidly increasing anuual produce of this extensive aud growing district id practically ex* eluded therifrom since the distance via Auckland, the only route now available, id bOmetbing like 150 miles. Ou the other hand, the people ot Thames are perforce of circumstances driven to distant and comp irativoly alLtn sources of supply from which to draw necessaries of dady life at *a greatly increased cost. " The construction of this line of railway would facilitate the occupation of that wide area of fertile country between Waikato and the Thames Jiiver ; it ivould Le acceplse4 by Natives and b)uro« peans as a great boou, and under the sanction of your Honorable House we beieve that no difficulty would be experienced m acquiring the land required for the purpose, "Your petitioners now humbly pray that your Honourable House will take this our petition into your favourable consideration, and will authorise the construction of a line of railway to connect Upper Waikato with the Thames district, as a public work, or by support afforded to private enterprise. " And your petitioners as m duty bound will ever pray."