PUBLIC MEETING AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1164, 11 December 1879, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT HAMILTON.

A meeting of burgesses was held at the Hamilton Borough, Council Chamber on Tuesday night, called for the purpose of urging on the Government the desirability of at once comm&noine> the Wai ■ atoThames railway, at this end of the line, and making the Hamilton traffic bridge free of toll. Cr. McDonald was called to the chair, and read ' the f olio wjnj? telegrams, one sent by himself to Mr Whitaker and one received that day from Wellington from ■the member for Waipa: — "To F. A. Whitaker, Esq., M.H.R. Wellington. "Thanks for telegram m to-day's Times. The Council particularly wish to know when tenders, will be called for line ' at this end. Itfow the loan is guaranteed "there should be no difficulty about immediate action. Public meeting called for eight to-night. Please reply m titoe for meeting. 1 . "J. K. McDonald." , The following was tho reply :— " Wellington; Tuesday, 3 p.m. "To J.K. McDonald, Esq. - "I cannot say exlactly when tenders will be called, but it should be immediately, now the loan is secured. Bridge material estimates are concluded, and will cost £6000 and will be ordered forthwith. I sympathise with the object of the public meeting ; but people may rest absolutely satisfied that the Government are determined to do justice to Waikato, which has been, hitherto denied it m the matter of tho Thames railway. ¥. A. Whitakeb, Cr. Knox moved the following resolution, "That this meeting urge the Government to call for tend 3rs for constructing the Thames- Waikato line as far as it has already been surveyed from, Hamilton toPiako." . Mr R. Gwynne, m seconding the motion said that no better time than the present could be chosen to - let contracts on the Hamilton end of jthe line when many of the residents had, for want of work at home, turned their attention to gumdigging. Mr A. Potter thought the question of a railway to Hamilton was a most momentous one, especially at the present juncture, and alluded to the report that another line had been tried for the Cambridge branch lino railway, crossing the Narrows and functioning at Ohaupo. The question was, what had really been done m the matter by the Government. The telegram read was» only a promise similar to others previously made. He thought second hand -work should come to an end, and that the people of Hamilton should communicate direct with the Gpvernmenc. Jtle proposed aa an amendment, "That a committee be appointed by this meeting, consisting of Captain Steel, Captain Dawson, Messrs Vialou, Beale, and Gwynne to correspond with the Government with a view to commence the Thames- Waikato railway, and that. our members receive a copy of the same with a request to urge upon the Government its immediate undertaking." Seconded by Cr. Jones. The amendment was put to the meeting and carried by a majority of nine to six. The original resolution was then put and oarried by a similar majority. The Chairman gave his casting vote m favour of :Cr. Knoxe's original motion. Cr. Knox then moved, " That a committee composed of Messrs Steele, Gwynne, Dawson, Vialou, and McDonald be appointed to carry out the resolutions of this meeting. Seconded by Mr. W. Davis, and carried unanimously. The question of making the traffic bridge free of tolls was next taken, into consideration. The Chairman thought they could not put the matter too strong to the Government, as it was one of vital, importance to the interests of the Borough. Meetings had been held m other parts of the distriot to urge this proposal on the Government, and he did not think Hamilton should be behindhand m the work.

Mr' Potter said as there were few people at the meeting he would move that it be adjourned for the consideration of the bridge tolls question until Saturday evening next. He said the tolls on the bridge would not be wo tth collecting. He thought no toll should be levied at all, but let the liabilities be met by a special rate.

Cr. McDonald thought that there was no time to be lost, as tfie session would be over before our memuera could be communicated with.

Cr. Knox said if the proposal made by Mr Potter was to be considered it should be done by a poll taken by the burgesses to say whether they will consent to tax themselves, not one shilling m the £ but two shillings m the £. The working man whom Mr Potter had called into the question, was already heavily enough, taxed without a special rate of 2a m the £ being imposed upon him. Cr. Beale seconded Mr Potter's motion which -Wtis lost by 3 to 7. Cr, Beale then got up and left the room, protesting thcifc hg had never seen a meeting so unfairly conducted m Hamilton. ■ Cr. Knox explained that the special rate would not meet the annual liability of £800. They would be leaving then £300 unpaid.. They had better go to the Government and put plainly to them tho injustice Of allowing 1 such a burden to remain upon the borough as Mr Potter had shown this bridge must be. If we declared the bridge free we must submit to a special rate of a shilling m the £ and then make up the balance from the rates, leaving little to be spent on streets. i, Cr. Knox then moved, "That the Government be requested to take over the liabilities of the Hamilton traffic bridge ■ and declare it a free bridge ; and that the committee also deal with this matter."

Mr Gwynne said tha burgesses would

be acting foolishly m declaring the bridge a free otic, as they would be immediately come upon by the (/overnment, which would set a man i,o collect the tolls, and then pause them to levy the rate from year to year to make up any deficiency. They had strus-gledi to get the bridge at all, and now they should striiggle on till they got the bridge made a free one.

The resolution was then carried unanimously.

A .vote, of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.