Waikato Heads.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1459, 8 November 1881, Page 3

Waikato Heads.

A correspondent furnishes the following :—": — " I have leason to know you are aware of the cffoits made by the Waikato Steam Navigation Company to le-open a duect trade via this poit. Already one or two vessels have onivcd fiom the neighboring colonies, freighted chiefly with bonedusi and otliei 1 manures to meet the demands of the Waikato farmers. The brigantme Bannockburn has been chartered and will sboi tly aime with a geneial caigo of merchandise fiom Melbourne. I am strongly disposed to think the .shipping tiade could be developed to a chantage in a variety of ways. For example, the steam coastal tiade to Raglan, New Plymouth, etc., is now, I inuleibtand, beginning to assume considerable pioportions. Upon your own showing, a large quantity of flax is likely to be shipped at the iirst-nained port, and in addition to that I ha\e reason to know Raglan free-stone is rapidly getting into demand for buildincr \m\ poses. A few days ago one of the Onehunga steam coasters took away a cargo of this stone, and active prepaiations for woiking the quarry on an extensive scale aie being made. JOncotuagcd by this piomising aspect of dflaiis the question has been mooted of making this port a coaling station foi steameis so employed. Capt Lindsay, manager of the nver navigation, has taken the thing m hand, and fiom what I can leain he either has, or at all e\eiils is pmpaied to offer f.norablc inducements to ship masteis. The nvcr company 'b own tiade per week via Onehunga is .something consuleiable. cijnal, I am told, to about GO tons, and w Inch it is estinnted that if once e&tabhshed the freight could ho supplemented by at least 30 tons from other sources. The ougmal intention of the river company was to put on a steamer of their own to tiade with Onehun<ra. ; the Waikato having been pokoii of for the puipose. That idea Imwevpi, would be abandoned in the event of the Raglan Company's steamers hemp induced to take up the trade making Waikato their coaling station. The further encouragement held out is that the coal would be supplied at least three .shillings per ton cheaper than at Onehunga and that binsrs, kept fully supplied, and provided with the requisite ■-hoots, would be erected alongside the wharf at Waikato Heads, thereby enabling steameis to run in coal at onoe, and iret out again on the same tide. With a guaranteed cm yinj? trado and a supply of fo.il providfd on terms like these, it will be strange indeed, if outside eomuany's do not sec their way to conclude airnnsromentg. In that cisc we may reasonably expect the trade prospects of this place will vciy considerably improve and that the place will eventually grow into something 1 liko its former importance. I would also beg 1 to bring under notice a very reasonable request made by the residents themselves. You are aware of the fact that the Heads offer many inducements for sea -bath ins? purposes. We have got communication by steam with Upper Waikato once a week, but the days of arrival and departure are somewhat irregular. Could that not be remedied, at all events, during the summer months. The steamer could be timed to leave Mercer, say on Saturday, on or after the arrival of the trains from Auckland, and Upper Waikato returning again on Monday forenoon, in time for the departure of these trains. An arrangement of that kind might be worthy of consideration by the proprietors, and it is more than probable it would be a means of bringing the " Heads " into notice as a resort by residents of Auckland as well as Waikato , bent on saltwatery pursuits.