WAIKATO RAILWAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 808, 21 August 1877, Page 3

WAIKATO RAILWAYS.

SIR,— I have J QBt reftii tbat it Ib probable you will have no farther completion of Waikato Railway- for. upwards of two years. Now, Sir, in view of the extent of railway opened in i>he South Island— viz, nearly three limes that of the North, and also considering that the population of the Sou h Island is demanding a further extension of no mean limit, and ' which they are likely to obtain, I ask you to place the situation plainly before your subscribers, and appeal to them whether it is not to their interest to arrange a number of signature sheets for the purpose of petitidning the Assembly in such, a manner that near every man in the Waika* o Bhati forward his intelligent and reasonable request to the House, praying for the speedy oompietoon of he Kline, at least as far as seven .mite PB Tht benVts' which the surrounding districts would cath t are various, and no l eß9 valuable n-(a) The more rapid communication, not only with Auckland, which would in itself be no small adr.Hitaee, bat with each settlement or townatiin (6) The decrease in cost of transit from Auckland or other township, of «««a for instance, alao implements, manhinerv ami all other materiilfl not SbtaSle save at proper depots, as wire "2? foncnir "&o, and a. corresponding decree in expenses U forwarding S cereals/grain or manufactured Soles as cheese, cutter, bacon, &c (*)., s£e increased facility for .travellers. a?d "nsequent attraction of visitors oftimes, men o« capital who *ould, by .the natural value of the soil in its proWohvenew Sd 1 oapabifity conjointly with'tbe conseS,,ent advantages of a railway, be in3uced to make their homea amongst you, and thuß «rld to the prMiwmy of the SiSriot Id) The inevitable increase in Z "I a« S\}» « m prorimity to the railway, «d «•* mi '«" •«***"* Bta ; ««« VeVTbe benifioent influence it 5S5d" ixerT on the frontier and also interior Blaories in aiVers ways. Ist. In pushing^civilisation and settlement still nearer their habited districts, thus ifataa dttoinß a new »nd. repel)iog p«.wer to tSpnssibly resfcleas spirits, 2nd, pUcng wuhin their r«acb, the vamus . oommoditieß, implementß, *>„ of which

wbioh would unfold "to them blessings o civilised "- life, as enchanting . as th rudefacoomplisbmehtß of Bemibarb'irifcin Obber advantages would accrue, par haps not ao important, bat, which would be hi highly appreciated. But, the oue reisoi wl>y the Waikato should iuaist on th< completioa aud exteusiou of t.Le; ma't lineJstbi-j, that ho long as the Waika^> ii without it, bo long will it be haudicuppec jagai/»B|i the South; which is, and will bs», able to supply Auckland with gram! anc other produce at lower ratea than can the WWkato. This fact i* obvious from three points, (a) The faot that the grait producing districts of the South lie miiol nearer the' 'Ships anchoi age than, does much ' : of the settled laud of Wnikato (4) Beoause, while Waikato settlers have to forward by dray for maay miles, Soubhernsettlers, as t»t Cbvistclmrcb, have oompletete railways, vwhere at a small cost, comparatively, they cau engage •special trains for the conveyance of produoe to ships sides, (c) Because the cost lof water carriage from the South will compare favorably with the Bauie amount of produce for a very limited distance by land, henoe, if Waikato has no railway from the interior, either to the Thames or Auckland, and, Buppoeiog that Southern . produce costs no more in production than Waikato, and I see no reason why it should, then the difference ia coat vi transport will be so unfavorable to Waikato as to hopelessly weight her . aganefc Southern competitors, and completely throw her back in the race. Hoping that you, Mr Editor, will rouae Waikato on the importance of this creation, and firmly, believing in a great and prosperous future for the district.— l am, &0., JiDWiN Wood. August 14, 1877. .