The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 940, 2 July 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1878.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or oolicical. ***** Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unaweci by influence and nnbribed hy gain.

Thu Waikato and Thames Railway Conference has concluded its consideration and discussion of the draft measure whicb had been prepared m readiness for tli6 coming session. Rome little difficulty was at first raised by Messrs Firth and Fergusson both of whom, as representing- very considerable interests, naturally objected to being shut out from discussion of certain questions m the off-handed manner adopted by the Chairman, the Mayor of Thames. The latter, however, having been overruled by tho sense of the meeting, business matters proceeded amicably and it is matter for congratulation that both gentlemen named did not withdraw as they hud threatened, for they remained to offer some very useful practical suggestions, which were agreed to by the Conference. Indeed, but ior the resistance by Messrs Fergusson and Yialou, the branch line to Cambridge, which forms a most important feature of tho scheme, wo.ld have been omitted. It is really hard to understand how practical men could overlook or fail to see the advantages which such a branch would be to the project as a Avhole. The additional cost of construction would be very light, and nearly tbe whole of the land traversed by tbe branch line would be rateable, while it would open one of the finest producing and oldest settled districts m Waikato with the Thames. Along the remainder of the line the traffic would have to grow under the encouragement of increased means of communication, but m pushing on a branph to Cambridge the Company would have a traffic already awaitinw the opening of the line, and the Thames a source, whence they would at once obtain imports of the various articles of country produce that they need. For tbe success of the line, financially, we look upon the Cambridge branch as a most important adjunct.

The proposal 'made by Mr Fergusson, wbich was adopted by the meeoing that the company should fence both sides of the line securely where it goes though rateable lands is a very proper and necessary one. It is the least that can be expected, if the land is to be given gratiously by landowners, a course advocated warmly by Mr Firth. There is little doubt bui that the large landowners will give their land freety, and, even then, it is not alone lo their bnefit that the land shall be fenced. Wo have had more than one narrow escape of danger to a train since the Waikato- Auckland line has been open, though obstructions on the line caused by wandering- cattle, and tlierfore if the cost of fencing add to the amount ot the general rate it adds at the same time to the public safety. And probably nothing would have been saved by not carrying this resolution, for landowners would m such case have looked to reap as high a price for the land as would have paid the cost of fencing entailed upon them. The cost of fencing m the entire line with puriri posts and five wires would not amount to more than.Slo,()oo.

It would seem that the proportion of rating to be borne by the various classes of land, proposed m the Draft Bill, bas been adhered to by the Conference. These classes were, ib will be remembered, four m number, class A. aU land included within a certain radius from a slatiou, class B. an outer circle, class C. an outer circle still, and clas. D. land., within tbe railway district lying outside .he outer circle of class C. Whatever tbe amount of rate required (lie proportion was to be as four, three, and two to ony, making class D. the startingpoint ; thus, if it were necessary that the rate on lands m class D. should be sixpence per acre, it would be 2s. m class A., ls Od iv class 8.,

iind Is m olass C. Of course v rule oF iliu/rib arrangement such as this would- woi k ■■• arbitrarily m many ..case... Coal iguous lands, ior instance, 'In classes 0.. s'tiul D. would bo rated, the foraior.jtist one hundred percent-, higher than tlie latter, indeed oneh Jf Llio same Held traversed by the imaginary lino would lie rated double ari high as Llio other half. ISo, too, m class A. Will anyone say that tli'* Borough of Thames, enjoying the lormiimi of the line, being' tlie centr?. lo which all traffic i if the line would converge, would not benefit m a far gi;e iter degree than would' Hamilton, or any other town m class A, on any other station on the line. Yet the section at Grahiiinsrmvn comprised underclass A. VAMtlcl only pay the same proportion of rates as a section within the class A. radius at any other station oiv the line. Mr "Vialou seems to have tried, m the interests' of Hamilton at least, to get this inequality altered by proposing that " the rating should commence from the station nearest to Hamilton." Iliis would have had the effect, had ib been carried, of removing- the Borough of Hamilton from class A. to au easier scale of rating. That ib was rejected was not to be wondered at as any exceptional attempt of the kind would have been. What however was wanted was to have raised a question of principle and have proposed a graduated scale of • rating for the sections around the different classes of stations, for it is apparent, that, if the Grahamstown section should be higher rated than thab of Hamilton, other sections round stations along the line would have even greater cause for complaint. It- would seem from the remarks made by the Chairman thab the Draft Bill has been seen by the Government and generally approved, and that the scheme will have the Government sanction and support. Ifc is very desirable that this railway should be undertaken both m a commercial and strategical point of view. To Waikato especially, ib will be most beneficial, affording a second market for our produce. It. will give fucilties for transport to the produce of tens of thousands of acres m the Piako and Wai toa districts which but for such facilities would lie uncultivated for years; and though at first sight it may seem to some of our townspeople that their share of the advantages will be little, that the railway will . take the traffic through the townships instead of into them, they cannofc but eventually gain by the filling up the surrounding country with a busy and prosperous agricultural community which is tho unfailing vesulb of the adoption of an extended and .wide system of railway communication.