The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 849, 24 November 1877, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, O> rtuatevci- auiid or persuasion, religious (.r political # # « * # Here shall the Presi the People's right maintain, Unawetl bv influence and unbribed by gum SA T URDA Y, NO VEMB.ER 24 1877.

Since the settlers 'of Te Awauiutu fii'at moved ia the matter of getting up tire public meeting to-day to consider the present position of affairs iu the House of Representatives chut position has considerably changed, and if happily now there is no need of their expression of a strong opinion on the factious opposition cai i\ed on against tho present Government 10 the great waste of time and neglect of the real business of the country, they can, at least, strengthen them by a congratulatory resolution, and take the Opportunity of letting them kuow exactly where the shoe pinches the Waikato toot and the Te Awauautu big toe in pat ticular. And the shoe does not fib easily. The late Ministry has nob won the gratitude of Waikato. Sir Donald McLean's successor in office had not the interest of the district ab heart, and turned a deaf ear to the constant remoustrauces aud the appeals of the settlers. From the present Defence Aiiuiß.er, Mr Sheeban, we may hope better things, and therfore the people of Te Awamutu will be acting wisly if they take the ■ opportunity now beiore them of making the Government dir. ctly and officially aware of the requirements and wants of the district. Te Awamucu has had scant justice in the matter of the distribution of the Defence Force iu Waikato, jtud has other grounds of cornp a üb; but the matter which more directly affects the welfare of the settlement is Lbeiuoouipreuensible neglect ot the Government in failing 'to take practical steps for the extension of the Kaip.xra-Puuiu railway southwurd troin Ohaupo. The survey has been made, but as we said the other da jr, .surveys are- too olceu made for the purpose of allaying public agitation without any inteution of gratifying ir. In a few weeks' times we shall have the train running to Hamilton, aud in fewer mouths to Ohaupo. What id needed is that' the money requisite to carry the line on from uhaupo to Te Awamutu should be put on- the present years estimates, and that, us soon as passed, tenders for carrying out the work should be called for. There is nothing to prevent the line from Auckland to Te A.wamutu bfting finished and opened right through by the end of the summer. The engineering difficulties cease at Uhaupo. No doubt this matter will be urged at the public meeting to-day, and we have no doxbt successfully so, for ib is part of the present government's policy. to render the mcom^li-ed Public Works scheme reproductive by carrying ib out to the point at which it will become so. And this notably will be the result, as far as the KaiparaPuniu railway is concerned, of carry ing out the extensiou alluded to. The extension to Hamilton will afford great conveience to and possible i ncrease the passenger traffic to an appreciable extent, bub, even if the Hamilton district were the produce growing district it should be, litt.e will be gained to the line ia the matter of goods traffic for there will still be the river to compete with. In the case of the Te Awamutu extension ib is very different. Not only would the railway open up lor purposes of traffic the most productive land west of the Waikato, but it would enjoy a monopoly of the traffic, aud add largely to the profit of the line.

The Political news from Wellington lias ceased to be of an exciting character. The opposition feel that they can do uo nothing, for this session at least, and the ordinary business is being proceeded with us rapidly as possible, so much so (hat it is autboi italively state I that the 4h of December will see Parliament prorogued.