HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 938, 27 June 1878, Page 2

HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MEETING RE THAMES-WAI-KATO KAILWAYBILL. A special meeting of the Borough 1 | Council was held on Tuesday even, lug* to take into consideration the draft of the Thames- Waikato llail--1 way Bill. Present : The Mayor, and Crs Cox, Gwynne, Gaudin and Hume. i Or. Hume thought the -rating i would not press evenly and justly on the several properties according to benefits received. Two properties might be contiguous, the one on the outer boundary of class A, and the other on the inner boundary of class , B. and one would pay 2s in the £. and the other ls 6d in the £. although both really benefitted alike. , He thought the land should all be valued on the basis of the benefits received. i Or. G vvynne thought they could not estimate the pressure of the rate till they knew what where the distances from the centre of a station which would form the classes. The Mayor thought the rate should be a general one. Or. Gwynne would stand up against being rated at all for the railway, but if there must be a rate it should be levied according to the benefits received. Cr. Cox thought the benefits to be derived by Hamilton from the railway would not be one-eighth part what the Borough of Thames would receive, yet, the Act would probably rate both alike under class A. He did not think the railway would benefit the Hamilton Borough. Ct. Gaudin thought the railway would divert the Piako trade from Hamilton to Grahamstown. Cr. Hume pointed out that the Piako country beyond Wood's was already supplied irom the Thames, while on this side of Wood's the trade was with Hamilton. Or Cox said his own individual experience was, that much of the the trade beyond Wood's came to Hamilton. Cr. Gwynne thought the Government should make the railway. If the Government would not, and it was of snch intrinsic value to the ' Thames people to have this railway, it was right that the Thames should make it. The Thames people saw it was to their advantage to have the railway, and wanted to saddle the rest of the district with the cost of making it. Tne landowners along tho line would also greatly benefit, fir more so (han the Borough of Hamilton. He did not, therefore, see, why Hamilton should be burdened with 'ho heaviest cost of keeping up '■'*. o railway. He would not consent ;o be saddled with a portion of tins cost if he could possibly prevent it. If the speculation was a good one, wby not let the : Thames people take it up ? If a bad speculation, why should the I •

Hamilton Borough burden itsel^ with a portion of tbe guarantee ? Cr. Cox would prefer to see a railway to an ordinary road, but thought the Thames people and large landowners were the people to be Saddled with the chief charge of the guarantee. The Mayor would like to see a, railway. They ought not to look at the matter simply as it affected their own borough but as it affected the country as a whole. A t the same time he thought that the Piako lands, which benefitted rnosr, should be rated highest He felt certain if the railway did not connect with Hamilton, that borough, being left out in the cold, would feel the loss. Cr. Hume thought that when the Mayor attended the Conference in Auckland he shonid express the opinions of the present meeting. He was also of opinion referring to what had been said by Cr. Gwynne that if the Government were willing to guarantee 5 per cent, they might as well borrow the money and construct the railway themselves. He trusted if the Mayor attended the Conference he would support the branch line to Cambridge. Cr. Gwynne would impress on the Mayor the propriety of voting at the Conference for the rate to be levied in proportion to benefits received. Cr. Cox thought one rule of rating should not apply to town and country lands. It was proposed by Cr. Hume, seconded by Cr. Cox : " That the Mayor attend the Conference to be held in Auckland to consider the Thames- Waikato Railway Bill, and to express the views of the CoUncil in reference thereto." . Carried unanimously. This concluded the business.