COUNTY AND BOROUGH COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 882, 16 February 1878, Page 2

COUNTY AND BOROUGH COUNCIL CONFERENCE.

The conference convened to consider the question of the Thames- VVaikato Railway aud other cognate matters was held yesterday afternoon m the Courthouse, Hamilton. Present: The Mayors of Thames and Hamilton, Councillors Brodie (Chairman Thames County Council), Beale, Gaudin, J. D. Hill (Chairman Waipa County Council), Bagnall, Dr Kilgour, Cumming, Gall, Potter, J. B. Whyte,Coates, Cox, Clark. Thorborn, Gibbons, Kirkwood, and Spencer. Mr Hollis, Clerk -of the Thames County Ooanoi), aoted as Secretary. Oa. the motion of C>-.' Brodie, Mr Vi.iloa, M .yor f llainilc'm. w s moved into tne chair, - and said it was the imOso importaiif meeting Lhat had ever taken place iv iNew Zealau i as the iissemoly of so many local bodies, and he ha i no doubt would have considerable weight with the Legislature. Cr. Brodie, us convener of the meeting, gave a few reasons why.it, had been cai led Tue local bodies at the ' hames had been long anxious to get the work advanced, and had thought that a conference iwould give, weight to> their expression of opinion. Of the imporiauQe - of, the railway nothing need .be said. The Waikato .had:. beef and other produce which the Thames needed. The Thames had timber and other material Accessary: ••< for Waikato. Last session the Railway District Act, wasijassed. , The Thames County Council had an offer Air Morrin to construct line for a,, 21 years' gnaranteeiof 6 per cent. The Act provides a guarantee of 7 per cent, the districts benefitted, contributing 5 per ceut. of this guarantee!. From a plan of the! line it would be seen that 25 miles were m the Thames county, 23 miles m Piako, county, and 10 miles m the Waikato. cou n tv. . The proposed cost would be £3500 per mile; total j cost/ £200,017. They thoaght that benefit would be derived by lands according to. their .nearnesjs ■to the line' on either: side. Within a miie on either side, the land was worth 3 per cent guarante-»---2 miles 'away, 2 per ceut ;, &n<( beyond that, I* ---per cent. -I nfortu--nately, much, however, of this land was Crown lan I, or laud m- the hands of the natives, which conld hot be rated. Moved by Dr Kilgour, and seconded by Cr. Claude. That m the opinion of this conference .the construction of the Thames-Waikato raUway is a work as important to the welfare of the colony as it is to the settlements and advancement of the various districts, through which the proposed line will run, and thiß conference pledges itself to promote to the utmost the interests' of any company or capitalist who may undertake its construction under the " Kaflway Districts Act, 1877." ; ■- Dr K. i«our alluded to the persislent agitation at the Thames which iiad been going on-for years, .md o ihe i tpprtft ordered u>. bs m»d by Mr iSimpson. ' Ti.e" line late'y surveyed by. Mr Care 'an only to ue UjijH-r Thames, anc? ihenc^ to inuran^a. Thnt vyas i.ot the line the Thames asked for., le punted ,uit 'hat. where the journ*y ha 4 taken the delegi.tes two di-ys between the ThMines and Hamilton, wi»h a railway it would have taken three hour-. So muil) ft>r the convenience of pH.-sepger iratic. A-ti io goods, W.»ik«to had a market b $ frue already, but this railway wou d give it » wsgojfd mv^i

would be a large consumer. Waikato coal would be usefal to Ghj&lfamstpwn, and Thames tiu|heiv. necessary to "lO§fto| T||pse were some of the most ffijtentf .ajo^Hut^ffl^v.of " the^rail^lay. HBlipce j 9 aoflji'nmeniS • aa^sejurißra tho .• j fety ojlhe cofcntVy. $k} JSp^ j , 1; /Gr. % >4p^ncli^^.' ! the motio'i, regretted no one was presehfr representing the Piaico. The ten miles through che Waikato country W^'Tdrmetf^i^^ a permanent way,- -./JL'lier.ii; could be uo division of 6j anion as to' the desirability of the resolution?*"" 1 " •*- •-'» ■ Mi\K r Kirkwood pojinted out the desirability of stating ~fehafc theThames Waikato line ,- should v connect with Cambridge! Cora medially, Hamiltoa was .the.centre,.of..,the.d^ trict, anl, m sfciiking the Xuipar^ Punui Railway .at Hamilton, the Thames line connected with the iipcountrylandsof the Delta, but not with Cambridge. A branch line from Cambridge, striking the proposed line (some miles cist of Hamilton) would open- up much ' valuable land along the country traversed — some nine miles— aril connect Cambridge (bne of the largest produsing districts m the Waikato) wi b both the Thames aud .Auckland. | Cr. Bagaall thoaght ihe Government should institute the construction of this line, ns they h.id done witli many other lines* which had not equal claims with the ThamesWaikato line. The line would pass through much land, belonging to the Crown and natives, which would I benefit equally with the lands that would be rated uiider the " Railway Districts Act " tor the purpose ot constructing the line. Cr. Gibbon pointed out that the guarantee would not have to be paid if the lite itself paid. The resolutiou was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. The second resolution was moved by Cr. Bignall, aud seconded by Cr. Spjacer. That, m consequence of the. large area of land m possession of the Grovernment and native owners which' are exempt from rating the Government be respectfuUy requested to amend the provisions of the EaUway Districts Act, 1877) so as to equitably meet these exceptional circumstances, and m such manner as the Government may deem advisable. Cr. Baguall thought the powers of rating were most unfair. Native Lands did not pay rates aiid the Government guarantee should be increased to make up for thisdeliciency. The Governmeat exempted natives from rates for political purposes, and, therefore, should make up the deficiency thus caused. Eithei the Goverement should pay the amount that such lauds would contribute, if rated, or increase the guarantee m a similar proportion. This piinciple, too, s ould bo extended to the County Councils m which Native lands existed, which suffered n.»fc only m rates lost but suffere i also m ths atn>»uut of subsidy received. The Thames Cou yin such wiy losi some £3,000 ) early. Qr. Spencer i i seconding tbe resolution thought the case was a very good one to put before the Govern ment. He thought the best; plan would be for tho Government to pay what sum such lands, if held by Europeans would have paid m j rates. .... My r. Kilgour did not like putting alternatives — would rather say to the Governmeat, increase the Government guarantee. Either pass a special Act or amend the existing one. He thought the Government guarantee should be at least 4 per cent. Chr. Brodie thought that the Legislature would not alter the Act s » as to apply to all the county, but to ask them to treat such a case as thiß exceptionally. Because 4 per cent, was necessary m one part of the colony it was not necessary m others. Cr. Gibbons thought the former resolution" was the best that could be adopted. They should leave the manner of assistiug them to the Government, and be satisfied so long as they got the assistauce m any way. Carried unanimonsly. Moved by Cr. N. R. Cox, •seconded by Cr. W. L. That the Mayor and Chairmen of the various districts through which this line of railway .will pass be i*equested to convene a public meeting of the ratepayers, for the purpose of eliciting an expression of "opinion respecting this important work. Chr. Brodie thought bhe reports of these meetings, should be as fully re-, ported possible m the local journals. Thf Resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Proposed by Cr. Beale, and seconded by Cr. Cumming, That after the meetings — to be convened m accordance with the foregoing resolution— are held, the Chairman of each meeting do carefully ascertain if the members present represent the majority of the ratepayers, as required by the Act, and satisfy themselves that .the meetings represent a fair and fuU expression of the public opinion of each district m favor of the same, and also that Mayors of the Boroughs and Chairmen of County Councils interested be empowered to obtain information from capitalists and others for terms of construction of the line, under the provisions of the ! " District Railways Act, 1877," or any . amendment Acts which may he introducpd ' during the ensuing session of Parliament. Chr Brodie prop sed That an Executive commiitee be ap •nin'bd to be called the Thames — W«kno rad«ay of which the M yor ot I ham< s be oljairtnan, to carry out ' the purpose of the conference, such corn mi tee fo consult of the chairmen of the Thames, Piako, Waikato and Waipa Council and tie Aayors of Thnuie- aod Hani'M- n. Seeoyde i by Chr. H -1, aud earned

Moved hv Chr. Brotlie, seconded by Chr. iLlgour. ggiijP& inytisMfequence of lar^e areas r^^Npil^e^Elnapi, m certain C >u» ie • | jSn6j^4 ro !^%>t ln * *'xc opt from of such native |^trMij JP»; iajAerve consideration MIP , tf^oMernfireAl and that subsidies W* Mh l To ucn local Dodl Bin TOmWnsa vfojwlf/ the losses sustained byWiiclilex^mption. Uarri?a unanimously. Or. Call proposed, and Cr. Spencer seconded the 6th resolution rence forward copies of the resolutions to the Govirtiuienr.*' Tin < ctTn'Siu'ded' th#%asiuesirofnhefConference. ..j •-,-,,-, f , J^ Or. Brodie be 'ore se|>ar*tino; took . occasion tOv'Tt'Kaik the Mayor! of f t£amdton a^djaia fellow councillors for>h.4, r ipߣ^£b|yo ito - the ' yisiting'c who" &uk beim 'delighted! .not ■ pnly . with tlieir reception, but with, the beauty oj* he coiiutry which they had visitedH lulgour, seconded the! motion with pleasure, and proposed, a vote otthaoks to the chairman.