AM ES-WAIKATO RAILWAY.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1104, 22 July 1879, Page 2

AM ES-WAIKATO RAILWAY.

PUBLIC MEETING. A large and influential meeting of the burgesses of Hamilton was held on Saturday afternoon, m the Councd Chambers, Hamilton, called 5? a / or m the interest ° f the Thames- Waikato Railway. Mr Potter moved the following resolution : — °

W S th e Prosocutum of tho Thames and Waikato Railway during the past year has been maccorda^with the RaiC Construction Act tffc, andds the a LJ lme for which the inhabitants of the lhames Piako and Waikato asked for legislative power by special Bills under the above mentioned Act, and that this meeting cordially thank the Government tor the works done and m progress, and urge the speedy completion of the line. Iv doing so, he said, strenuous efforts bad been exerted to get a Railway m ade between Grahamstown and Hamilton. It had been shown both inside and outside the House of Assembly that such a woik would confer vast benefits upon the district and the colony generally, and enhance the value of the property over a large district. Such a railway, indeed, would prove as paying a concern as the railway now established between Auckland aud Ohanpo. He was afraid other interests were at work to uudrniino this undertaking. Certain chairmen of ftoad Boards and others, of the Waikato County had recommended a line of railway to connect Cambridge with the Thames Valley line, which, if carried out, evidently meant a diversion of the main line from the originally proposed route. If the project of these gentlemen were carried out we should never see the railway completed between Grahamstown and Hrailton. The Cambridge branch Hue was so desig-ned as to send the main line from Grahamstown into Taupari. The late Government had never intendsd to sarry the line from Grahamstown to Hamilton, Anothev line commencing at Grahamstown, opening up the Piako Swamp, and connecting it with Taupari, was their object, and he bslieved, with certain persons, tho same projecc was now being worked. He was fortified m this belief, as no public meeting had been called to sanction the late action of certain local bodies. They had held a hole and corner meeting, constituted themselves sole judges of the matter, and, withoutconsuitfng the ratepayers, had handed the public over, body and soul, pledged to this new line. If that line from Cambridge to the point, ou Captain •Stcele's property, four miles from Hamilton, was. carried out, thero would never be a terminus of the Thames line at Hamilton. It would be fixed somewhere m the Piako Swanip, or some adjoining property. Why had ohe local' bodies beon so precipitate iv their action, but to burk public opinion. Their action was a misrepresentation and a forgery of the public wishes. They had no right to hand over the interests of large district tor the benefit only of themselves, and without consulting the general public. If ife did cost a thousand pounds more to junction at Hamilton, was that any reason tho branch line was to terminate iv a swamp, and make tho distance between Auckland and Cambridge a mile aud a ba-f longer than it need be I The junction of large centres wquld benefit a community, and the benefit of the public interests should nob bo set aside to further the private interests of ;i few individuals. Ta divert the line from Hamilton 60.. Taupiri, would be perpetrating one of the most infamous robborios tb/kc had ever been inflicted upon a. community.

Captain Steele said that, thoiio-h out of order, ho trusted the Chairman would allow him to reply to the insinuations and atlask made upon him aud others by the previous speaker. He had heard tnab Mr Potter was publicly stating that ho (Captain Steele) was working somo deep laid scheme to keep the Thames railway from Hamilton. He knew nothing about any such attempt. The Chairmen of the Waikato local bodies and others, had acted m the interests of Hamilton m taking the course they had done. As far as ho was concerned, ifc was a matter of notoriety that as Chairman of the Waikato County Council, he had telegraphed to, the Minister of Public- Works asking when something was going to be done m the matter of the Thames- Waikato raitway. Mr Macandrew replied thafc they were going to begin afs once. But this did nob satisify hii», and ho again telegraphed, asking at which end— Thames, or- Hamilton? ftitf this look as if he cared nothing for Hamilton interests 1 What he and others had done, was to assist the Cambridge people and the H^^a people to get a, branch Hip from Cambridge* into the Thames- Waikat© railway. Where it sl^ouM junction was rather a question *i<& the engineers. It would neither benefit the Piako Company nor himself, nor any of the landowners who had assisted the Cambridge peoplo m advocating- their branch line, to divert the main lino from Hamilton, Anybody was. foolish who thought otherwise, He himself, his. Hamilton interests were paramcMwfc. The Pia^j Swamp Company had never been consulted m the matter of the branch line. Ithad been left entirety 'to the Engineer. So fay fvom ; any diversion) being meditated, he had heard frouii Mr Stewart, the district; Engineer, that working plans had been pre^

pared for the first fifteen miles from the Waikato river. The Cambridge branch survey was a mere trial survey. He was surprised that such charges should be made ag&inst himself. He was one of the earliest of Hamilton settleis. He had spent his money there. His interest lay there, and he had stuck to the place through thick and thin. (Loud cheers.) Mr Vialou having seconded the motion,

Mr McDonald moved as an amendmeut.. r^*That this me&fcfig recognising the importance of the speedy completion of the Waikato and Thames yalley Eailway line, having its terminus m the Boroughs of Hamilton and Thames, both from a strategical and commercial point of view, would urge upon the Government the immediate construction of the line, as far as it was surveyed and contract plans prepared, as labour can now be obtained at a low rate, from the number of unemployed at present m the Colony, therebly enabling contractors to undertake the works at a much lower rate than they were likely to do during the summer months. Considerable discussion arose, and ultimately the amendmenb was put to the meeting, and carried by a majority of eleven votesIt was proposed by Mr Jamieson, seconded by Mr Lovegrove, That the Government be requested to call, at once, for tenders for constructing the first fifteen miles of the ThamesWaikato Railway, from the Waikato River, at the Hamilton end. Carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr Hammond, the foregoing resolutions were ordered to be sent to the Minister of Public Works, the Member for Waikato and Waipa, Mr F. A. Whitaker, Agent at Wellington for the Borough Council, and the Town Clerk of the Borough of Grahamstown. This conclnded the business.