THE CAMBRIDGE RAILWAY. Meeting of Ratepayers at Cambridge. {Concluded.)

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1402, 28 June 1881, Page 2

THE CAMBRIDGE RAILWAY. Meeting of Ratepayers at Cambridge. {Concluded.)

The discusaon on the Town District's 1 having terminated the Chairman introduced the matter of railway extension to Cambridge. In biinging this important matter before the meeting Mr. Campbell said : Gentlemen — There is another mutter of great importance to be brought before you to night — the questionof railway communication. A 8 you are all aware meetings have been held with regard to this matter ; resolutions have been proposed and forwarded ; petitions more than one have been drawn up aud presented to the House, and two surveys have been made at the cost of the residents of this locality. Furthermore you are aware that a Commission was appointed by the Government in respect to Public Works ; that this Commission visited Cambridge, and were waited upon by the members of the Railway Committee ; that copious evidence was taken and statistics produced in regard to the amount of traffic to support a railway, and that it was shown conclusively to the Commissioners that the railway, if constructed, would prove a public benefit. They recommended it in their report in a most unqualified manner. This question is one that interests your welfare to an unlimited degree, and one on which the future progress of Cambridge mainly , depends. lam certain that with regard to the resolutions to be put before you, there will be only one feeling, and that is, they should be adopted and forwarded to the House at the earliest possible moment. I will* now call on the gentlemen who hold these resolutions to bring them forward and read them. "Mr Wellfi, in moving the first resolution said : — I shaU have but little Ijo say, - the chairman having given you a summary of the facts that have occurred in connection with this subject, and of' course we kngw,; ajll , i^bo^tjiiVto jpur^cp^n and we^ 'mus^ejr^ot «a l^fle^tme&sjrj at |seeing f sd'

of railway communication. I now beg to move the following resolution : — "That the meeting considers that unnecessary delay has taken place in causing a survey of the Cambridge Hailway line to be made, seeiag that lately made by the Government is merely a flying survey and not valuable as a basis on which to invite tenders." This resolution was. seconded by Mr. Reid, and on being put to the meeting was carried unanimously. Mr. Williams then proposed " That having in view thefact that the line has been recommended by the Railway Commissioners and has been proved by statistics (prepared at the cost of the people of this district) to return interest on the cost of construction this delay seems inexplicable." This was seconded by Mr. ftaynes and on being put to the meeting was carried unanimously. Mr. Kirk wood : I would like to have the opinion of the meeting on the question whether it is advisable or not to send a petition through the member for this district and the member for "Waipa asking the Government fo place a certain sum of money on the Estimates at once and not to leave the matter until the end of the session. It ia necessary that such a thing should be done immediately so that the railway to this township should at once be proceeded with. Mr Hosking then moved the following resolution. "That a great injustice has been done to the landowners who have agreed to give the land required free of cost, in not determining the exact route which the proposed line will take." He said the resolution went to show that the gentleman who kindly offered the land had not gone on with their fencing, waiting until the railway was made, and were consequently put to great incomenience, and a great deal of expense. Mr Campbell : I am fully aware of fact that those gentlemen who have given their lands free of cost towards the construction of a railway to Cambridge, have been greatly inconvenienced, not having been able to go on with their draining improvements and fencing. Mr Kirkwood in seconding the resolution, bdid the Government h.id dono wrong in this matter. If they (the Government) postponed the construction of the proposed line for a few years more, it would cost them several thousand pounds extm. The land was now entirely at their disposal, and they could get it for nothing, and the Government, ho would say, Wnjre highly culpable 1 in not taking advantage of such a liberal offer. Mr Wells : I know of my own knowledge that a groat portion of the land U of a low-lying nature, and that considerable drainage operations would have been undertaken year.s ago, but as the people were not sure which line the Government would adopt, this was not done. These lands are consequently lying over at considfrable loss Mr Reid : It seems strange to me that the Government are losing the freight on over thirteen miles of railway by handing it over at Ngaruawahi-i to the Steam Navigation Company. That would make a considerable sum every week if they only could see it. Mr Hosking'b resolution was then put and canied. Mr Tuck then moved, and Mr Wells seconded :—": — " That the member for the distiicfc be requested to urge upon tho Government — and thi House— the necessity of a .sum being placed upon tho e«titnates for the construction of the railway, and draw attention to the great hardship which is inflicted upon the people of this populace district through the want of railway communication and the loss which is sustained by the Government in being deprived of a large revenue, which, if this line were completed would accrue to the Railway Department in freight over some twelve miles of constructed railway." This resolution on being put was unanimously carried. The Rev. Mr Willis moved, and MiHick.' seconded, "That a copy o f the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to MiWliyte, and that Mr Whitaker be asked to co-O2Jerate with tho member for this district in this matter so vitally affecting the interests of the whole district," Carried unanimously. A hearty vote of thanks being accorded on the motion of Mr Wells, to the chairman, the meeting terminated. Those present signed the petition above referred to before leaving the Hall.