The Waikato Times

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1089, 17 June 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times

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 iufli\eno« and unbribed by gain. TUESDAY, JUNE 17, IVQ. The construction of the railway to ! connect Cambridge with the other districts of Waikato, and with the Provincial capital ia a want which we have for a long timo pointed out, and a defect m the otherwise well considered scheme for providing the Waikato district with direct railway communication with the re3t of the colony. When the Thames- Waikato line, is finished, the Piako and Waitoa lands will be brought into close and easy distance, but the richpst farming district m the Waikato, and with a growing and prosperous township springing up m its midst, is still left out m the cold. The original idea was to have connected Cambridge with the main trunk line, considerably South of Hamilton, but, since the Thames Waikato line has become something more than a merely projected scheme, it has been thought desirable to con. ncct m a direction which will give Cambridge the most direct communication with both Auckland and the Thames. Again, too, of late the opening of a road via Cambridge to the Hot Lakes has raised the question whether it would not be more desirable to connect tbe Lakes direct with Auckland by railway, and the Cambridge banch line would then become a matter of Colonial concern as part of the main line to the Lake country, and possibly of the East Coast line to", Napier. As such, the few miles of railway which are required to connect ; Cambridge with Hamilton have a claim on the Assembly m any scheme of public works brought down for consideration before the sanctioning of a new loan — for it really forms part of a main line, that to the Lakes, which must become, as soon as opened, not merely one of the best passenger paving lines m the ]f orth Island, but one, the existence of which, through tbe facilities it will afford tourists from abroad to visit the Lakes, of great indirect value to the Colony. The matter has been left somewhat late, but still taken up m time, we hope, to engage the attention of the Assembly m the coming; session, which meets for business m something less. than a months time. Mr W. t). Breakell went over to Mr Knnciman's, as proposed, on Wednesday last, and having talked the matter over with the gentlemen deputed by the Waikato Council, went over the ground with them, hisiast ructions being to make theline as direct and short as possible m its junction with the Thames Waikato line. The line, as proposed, leaves Cambridgo, and passes along the tramway road to Messrs Douglas's property, thence through ( the property of Messrs Runciman and Rhodes, lately purchased from the Church Mission, thence through Mr C. C. WoodY, and passing some bhreo or four chains beyond Blackmore'a Gully, catting off a small slice of Mr Forrest's land, to lnnd belonging to Government, on the Hamilton - Piako road, thence through Captain Steele'a properly, and strikes the Thame; "Valley line about three miles from Hamilton. All .those through whose property it passes have, we understand, expressed their willingness to receive a very moderate compensation for the land required. Having crone over the ground, Mr Breakell next day Bent a part of eleven men, with two surveyors, to make a survey of the line, being determined to make every effort to coranlete his engagement to have the line surveyed and the necessa'-y plans, &c., prepared m time for the opening of the Assembly. It is a pity the matter was left so late, and certain gentlemen m CarobridsfP, anxious that it should not fall thrjngh at the last hour, offered the Engineer a bonus, if the plans were m Wellington by the opening of the Assembly. The hurry will entail some extra expense, but Mr Breakell does not despair of being well able to complete the work. That the proposed line has been laid ont tojunction with the Thames Valley line three miles from Hamilton E-iSt is a matter for regret. By doing this the line between Cambridge and the Thames line is shortened by a mile, but tho distance actually traversed between Cam-, bridge and Hamilton and all stations beyond Hamilton to Auckland will be lengthened by a mile and a-half. It strikes tho Thame3 line too at a place, where it is true a station is

planno.l on piper, bub which ia at pro.icnt, and likely for soim time lo remain a SftMrap, and unsuitiiblo for a station., There, sire no enafineerintr difficulties m tho way of bringing the line direct into the Kasi Hamilton station, except this one additional mile, making an single which, sooner or later, will h we t/> 1)0 straighimierl. wlikii the , traffic between Auckland ;uul the iuttri>r becomes importune. Ie is to he rosfretted that the Hunilion p?opl« had hob worked together with tinxo of dm bridge, m pr •jecting' and undertaking the cost of bUu fly i nor survey, nnd the question arises, it is even now too late for them to come I to .an arrangement by which the [ Engineer may survey an olternative i line from the Piako road, bringing the junction with the Thames Valley me into East Hamilton '? We believe not, but at any rate there is no time to lose. Let Hamilton look to it.