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Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 884, 21 February 1878, Page 3

sir, — As I am, I suppose, .the person lluded to m the letter anent the late ailway meeting at TeiAwanmtovpubwhed m. Saturday's issue of the Times, nd written by some individual . who is shamed to sign his na,me to. it, . wherein • am charged with having proposed that v petition should be got irp to , the effect ,hat the terminus might be upon my own md, I think it proper to give yojo. the; eal facts of the case, and -this I will" do is briefly (as possible. ! Within the last wo or tliree months, several gentlemen jave spoken to me upon the subject of uaking an effort to induce the Governnent to bring the railway into the townhip, instead of • placing it' at a distance t'rom the town, as has been done at Hamilton and elsewhere. I always redied that I thought "it was top late to nove m the 'matter — that the line was lecided on, and the plans were being n-epared and tenders were to be called for mmediately.. When, however, the Prenier was at Kihikihi, Mr H. Roche asked urn whether nothing could be done m he matter. . Sir George Grey replied that le thought it very desirable that the' tation should be m the township, if there vas no valid reason to advance against it. vlr Eoche stated that •engineering diffi•ulties were spoken of. The Premier redied that' he could' not,* of course, go ijjainst the' engineers, but that he could )rder a fresh engineer's report to be made, md assured Mr Roche that he would not ail to have this done. Just after this, we ound^" to our surprise, that the notorious elegram which stirred Hamilton to its •entre had reference to Te.Awamutu, and hat th& snake m the grass Jjwa3 a Tft Vwamutu and- not a Hamilton reptile. Jpon this, a few of us. determined that he Government should not, be misled as o the wishes of the settlers, and w;e drew tp a petition to 'the Premier/ 'expressing >ur , surprise and regret upon hearing of if the telegram, and this petitidn also iraye'd that the line might be altered m >rder to brjng the station as near the own as possible .The .petition showed hat ■ Te> Awamutu is a;, great centre of lopulatipn, roads from all quarters converging at this point^-that this iwould, robably, be the terminus for some years o come — and that, therefore, the interests >f the district should be considered. A »üblic. meeting was called, to consider the idvisaibility of adopting or rejecting this letition, and, you are acquainted with the esult, . ,Possibls, however, you do not now that, with the exception , of some lalf-a-dozen. persons who oym land near he present proposed sjte, the meeting vas unanimous that the^ sending of the >etiti'on to the Government was m every way desirable/ The only reason adduced n opposition, tp the petition, was— that it aight cause" delay m 'the completion of he work, and, possibly, risk-the removal >f the terminus to a still more -distant ilace. There are very few hi this locality who will hot admit' that Te Awamutn is immeasurably the most convenient place for. the station.. However, though, there are many who desire to see Te Awamutu he terminus, they would, rather than delay hould result from this wish, leave the natter rest as it is. We perpeive that, m FTamilton, great inconvenience follows ipon having the railway station at a listance from the town, and, m view of -,his, it does seem absurd that the same folly should be re-enacted here without any perceptible cause. Although Mr Stewart reported against the proposed shange, other engineers— capable men — : »ave given their opinion m favor of it What we ask is a fair and impartial enquiry, mado with the desire to accom- • modate us, if possible.. These, sir, are indisputable facts, and, as suoh, will, I ohink fully justify the Te Awaniutu people m their action m the matter. Wit b. regard to the letter itself I need •ay but little. It would be a very easy -natter to/'holfl it up to contempt and. ridicule," but I forbear. As to the statement that I selected my own paddock as the proper- site for the railway station, it is not only grossly false, but is so palpably absurd as to- be unworthy of even pasr-iag-uotice. Tho attack upon Mr Eoche' s veracity is not my business. . He is quite able to fight his own battles, and being an Irishman, is no doubt also Avilling and ready to do so. In conclusion, fix; I can only say I feel ••ishamed of troubling you on the subject. An anonymous attack of the land is not worthy of notice, and how can one touch pitch 'without being defiled. Ido not love fighting- at auytime;but if I mitst

fight give me a foeman worthy of my l-steel, and .not a hired and .masked assassin.— l am, &c, J. H. Mandbno. To Awamutu,-1878.