The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1878. RAILWAY EXTENSION INTO HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 942, 6 July 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1878. RAILWAY EXTENSION INTO HAMILTON.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious * or •political. * * * * * Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed hj gain.

The scheme for the extension of the railway into Hamilton which we noticed on Thursday, is good as far as it goes, but we do not see why, at a little cost, a very much greater public benefit, and a still laiger share of traffic to the rail way should not be secured ; why, in~facf, Mr Potters' original scheme of a tram , way from the Hamilton station into Sydney Square should not be developed by the Government into an extension of the railway itself to that point; The bridge as designed for the Borough is quite capable of carrying the traffic, and 'as good a gradient, could be obtained across the river where it is proposed to erect the bridge at Webber's, as could, be got'by simply continuing the extension along Victoria-street to a point on the river higher up. The mere extension of the railw&y to the end of Victoria-street would simply be half doing, and scarcely half doing what the extension of the railway into, EasfHainiltonwould effect. It is the east side the Waikatomver which at present is chiefly precluded, by difficulty of road carriage from participation in the benefits of railway communication. Independently of the half of the Borough of Hamilton so circumstanced there is a iarge amount of back country in the same position. The rapid progress of settlement in the Piako alone has caused -\a large goods traffic, and besides this there is a nearer outlying settled country round about East Hamilton, including Tamahere, and a portion even of the Cambridge district, which would use the railway as a means of conveyance were it rendered practicable for them by being brought , across the river. The Piako County alone keeps several teams continually employed carting goods from East Hamilton, and,as showing the amount of traffic, we may state that at the present moment two steamers have been chartered and a third is being chartered* to bring up goods to Waitoa at a cost of 55s per ton. Now at the present season of the year goods can be carted from East Hamilton to Piako for 40s per ton, and iu the summer, when carriage by river steamer to Waifcoa, is impracticable, at ?>o.s per ton. Such being the case we need scarcely point out to to the railway authorities the opening that presents itself. If goods could be delivered to a terminus of the railway in East Hamilton, the whole Piako traffic, which is year by year rapidly inincreasing, as the lately published agricultural statistics show,would be secured to the railway, where now in winter it goes direct by steamer to Waitoa, and in the summer by steamer bo Hanrilfcpn, To many of

the the difference s^jm|Pe^O[ i 'great( : r, for, if carted from \ the "railway terminus in goods would beloffc at eacl|ffi|an<< |opr,w hcr^senfcby steamer to would have to be specially sent for. And what applies to Pialco in like degree to a large-extent of back country in the Kirikiriroa and other districts where the goods at; present are either received -by steamer,at East. Hamilton or at Cambridge and carted to the faims, instead of bein£ seub by-railway., ~,.. ; The/full /scheme, as; \v,e have sketched it above, is that which \ye would commend'to tbeco..sideratipn of the railway authorities and which we would 'suggest* that the? local bodies inte.'esteil should lose no time in urging upon them. It is well to Strike whjleSthe' irpn is shot," and if as we were informed' tlrti extension; of tne line, to the western hauk.of the-'river only, appeared a;profitable undertaking to the railway Commissioners and.to, the Minister for Public Works, how .touch "more so would not the full development of the scheme which would bring as a feeder, to the railway, largo tracks of settled and rapidly filling up lands eastward of the Waikatu river which are how - practically out; off from now using •, the railway. Where the one extension would bring an additional ton of traffic 1 to the line, .thejp'ther,. carrying' the line across tiie river, would bring three, and that foo at no great extra cost

A mebting of the. Committee of the? Waikato • gricultural and Pastoral Association will be held at Qhaupo, on Tuesday next, at 3 p.m. the ratepayers of Tamahere Highway District will be held at the residence of the Chairman on Thursday afternoon, the 2oth inst, for the election of officers, striking a rate, ahd receiving report and balance-sheet from the Wt-going trustees. \ ( ' ; ■ Wha-tawhata.—According to advertise - mentj Mr J. S. Buckland held his first cattle sale at "Whatawhata on Tuesday' last. Notwithstanding the coarse and unpleasant, weather there ;Were a ' fair muster of cattle and a large attendance of buyers. The stock, as a rule, were in fresh condition, and realised good prices. . The principal buyers were Messrs r#oKinnon, 0., J..Storey,...JohjcL fisher,, Pledger; scDoiinell|and piprboyjiil A few sheep were also penned," and sold well. The auctioneer undertook the safe delivery of cattle on the f6116 wing day to the Ohaupo Yards, which materially assisted the sale,! a full account oh which will be i seen in Mr Buckland's monthly stock report which appears next week.