TE AWAMUTU RAILWAY STATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 967, 3 September 1878, Page 3

TE AWAMUTU RAILWAY STATION.

Sib,—ln your' issue of Tuesday last, you : publish’ a report of the public meeting at Te Awamutu, re Railway Station, and in .'which bne ! of the speakers is reported to Jhave stated that he considered it would the inhabitants of Te Awamutu to lay .down a tramway, should the station be placed as at present proposed, and that • all the traffic came from the epposite side ,v of the township, and not .from the direction." in which the station, as at present proposed, will be situated. Now, sir, it ’ would be very interesting to know what kind of tramway that gentleman would suggest. For my own part, I think one on the same principle as those generally used by bushmen, sawyers, &c., would be more than sufficient for the requirements of a village of some 20 houses, situated only about 70 chains from a railway station. Of course, the place may grow, but I think colonial experiense has shown that villages and townships through which railways have passed, have generally ', grown smaller. It will also be interesting to look at the other assertion, viz., that all the traffic comes from the eastern side of th® township. Now, as the whole of this frontier country is almost exclusively a grazing one, a glance at the present m exports of live stock will enlighten us a little on the subject. The district lying between the Mangipiko and Puniu rivers, and stretching westward from Te Awamutu to Alexandra, last year, fattened and sent to the Auckland market about 900 head of fat cattle, besides a great deal of other produce. Ido not know the exact aggregate of fat' stock exported from the‘other side of the township, but I do know that Kihikihi, Orakau, Rangiaohia and Te Rahu, put together, did not send to Auckland, or anywhere else, a number anything like approaching that which I have before stated. One gentleman living on the eastern side of the railway route, and who has been most indefatigable in his exertions to have the station changed to some place more convenient for his own farm did, during the whole of last year, fatten and export to Auckland market, a mob of two head. Some others did not send so many. What I have to say, sir, is this, that if it can be shown that the best and cheapest route for the trunk line to Wellington is to pass through the township, by all means let it be made there, but not for the special convenience of selfish individuals, whose statements about laying down tramways, and all the tramc coming from one side, are notmng more nor less than twaddle. The fact is that one of the farms on the western side annually exports more produce than some pf these clamorously-interested gentlemen

have done in all their lives, deferring to the unanimity of the meeting it can easily be explained. For several days previous, the eastern district was canvassed by both Parson and Clark, and every available ratepayer was rolled up, whilst, on the other hand, telegrams were received from Wellington stating that it was settled for the station to remain unchanged. Consequently, no attempt was made to muster at the meeting,' and those present passed resolutions that best suited them, unopposed It will be seen that the absent party were altogether misled, whilst those present had been encouraged by Mr McMinn to go on with the meeting. Perhaps it is not at all unreasonable to suppose that the people west of Te Awamutu may expect from that gentleman an explanation of his action in this matter. A comparison has been drawn between the positions of the Hamilton and Te Awamutu stations, especially in an article in your issue of the 27th instant, but what similarity there is in the two I don't know, except that they are both railway stations. The country west of the Hamilton station is very little better than a barren wastethat of Te Awamutu, a large producing district of at least eight or nine miles, the traffic of which, with that of Alexandra, and a considerable portion in the shape of corn, &c, from Kopua, would find its way to the station, provided it was placed in anything like a central position, and which for all parties concerned, I maintain, the present site is.—l am, &c, Manoapiko.

Sra, —Will you kindly inform me whether —under the provisions of the registration of births, marriages, and deaths—it is compulsory for a person to register in the district wherein he resides — i.e., supposing that, for reasons into which it is not necessary to enter, he is unwilling to register with the registrar of his own district. In the event of his residing in Hamilton, can he rogister in Alexandra. —I am, &c, Patebfamaxias. Te Awamutu, August 30, 1878.