Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 854, 6 December 1877, Page 2

The opening' of the railway to Hamiltoa au event anxiously lookedforward to for years v now shortly to ba realised. The work of laying the rails is being rapidiy proceeded with, and, when we visited the line on Monday, was completed co within a quarter of a mile of the station hoiise which is .itself very nearly finished. The ballasting' remains to be done, but the pits close tb the line were opened out and a good sup ly of gravel was to hand so I hat rhere ynil be no delay on that score, In all probability the line will be ready for handing over to the •Grovernment within the fortnight, md if their is no delay at Wellingou m the matter of taking it over we may look for the formal opening before Christmas. Great credit is •iue to the contractors Messrs Topham and Angus for the progress they have made. There was quite a little can vms town on tbe lower part of Mr Jolly's farm on Monday •'.hough probably by this time, the camp will have been moved to .ho Ohaupo side of the station. From what we learn the extension to Ohaupo will not be a very lengthy work — and what then ? Ia tha north- fi portion of thta giMat trunk line to be brought to. a sudden termination jast short of that very district of Waikato whioh it is necessary to che suboessful working of the railway shunld be brought withia its iufl lence? Will a Government, iirofessedly pat- tiai to Auckland interests, tbo/oughly aware of the requirements of the case, and With the remembrance of Te Aw »muta congratulations still fresh m its mind let auother year paaa without, expending the line to Te Awamutu? The »urvey is made. Contractor* have men and material almost on the spot, and tho opportunity is a good one for pushing on the work without delay. There ia no reason whatever why the line should not be opened to Te Awamutu before the next winter, and if it were, we have no hesitation m 4'yiug that the freight receipts of he line would be doubled ia th-i tii st year. Nothing but a railway is needed to make the upper pot tion of Waikato the great grait Droduoing country of the N jrth Islaud. .■-'here are thousands and thousands of aero* there, of the very best land m y he colony lyiug^ready for theplough, , nnd, what is more, thei'e is a large ; c.'ttatry every year ivC f*P>l.''ing~^rhTotT 7 -r-A«l--i.o nm n fim | rn> i>7 is becoming mor« and mjre necessary every year thit it shonid be broken ap apd crop c.l— grass land wh'i;h needs a two or three yf aw course of cro.lß before it is again laid down to pasture. Tne AuokUnd and Thames market oould be supplied, ani rao<e than supplied from this one « f 8 '.ict alon *, with all kinds of farm pioiu.e, inuepandently of Canterbury shipmencs, whi'e the tnoreased w>u'k of ploughing, o.trt. ing, and the einpoytnont of other agricultural lab >ur would give life md bustle and irapot'tance to wh t is now a purely pastoral distriot, and ;tdd to the general prosperity and welfare. The opening of the railway as far as Hamilton, however, is an **vent of no little importance m th-" .history of W«ik tto, and one which otightnot to be allowed to pass by without due commeinora ion. It will be seen that a meeting his been called for Saturday next, to take steps for suitably celebratiug the ocomiou, and doubtless tbn Englishman's usual custom of doing so by a dinner will be the mode adopted. In s.ich case we would make one suggestion. The most enjoyable public dinner we recollect to have seen iv Waikato was that On the occasion of the openi-.g of th.M isonic Htll at Hamilton, and the reason tbat it was so, was o.viug m a very great measure to the produce of ladies as. guests. Tue absence <f ladies from our public dinners as a rule is au evidence of the low standard of refinement and civilisation to which the colonists have a.s yet reached, and more especially on such au occasion as this sh mid their presence be as welcome as it would he m keeping with the holiday character of the event.