The WAIKATO TIMBER COMPANY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1791, 29 December 1883, Page 2

The WAIKATO TIMBER COMPANY.

Tt is a question whether the Cambridge Town Board has acted windy in regaid to its dealings with the above company, ie the proposed .saw-mill site on the bank of the Waikato river near the old wharf. Though the board has, with good intentions, endea\ oured to increase its ie\enue, still by persuveiiug in this lino of action it would appear to be altogether indifferent to the much greater benefit which the town, in a mercantile sense, would deiive by aeoncession on its part. The members seem to have said to themselves, Oh, it is all very well ; people may talk about om driving the company and its works, and concomitant blessings in point of trade away from the place, but the advantages which Cambridge as a centie affords to the company are too great, and this being so, a matter of a few pounds will not stand in the way ; accordingly we will adhere to our figiuc for the site, and the town will enjoy the trade advantage? all the same. But the very determined stand which the board took when the offer of the company was first submitted to them, set the company on the look-out for another site at the other centres Hamilton and Ngaruawahia ; and though the boaid has now conceded it is just a to-,s up which place the milk will be erected at. had they conceded at the outset the idea of going to either Hamilton or Ngaruawahia would never have been entertained. There is an old pro\ erb which tells us that " He doubles his gift v/ho gives in time" and so in this case it would seem as if, He le-ison-5 his gift considerably who gives too late. An experienced man has been engaged to report upon the respective sites and upon his advice coupled with other circumstances of consideration depends the ultimate decision of the Company. It is not the object of the present article to demonstrate in detail the advantages derivable fiomthe establishment of an industry of this nature in our midst, yet the additional .stimulus to tradegenerally which it will afford, tlie increase of population which it will bring about, thereby extending the local market, and the decrease in the price of timber which it will cause are matters for earnest consideration at the hands of the local body interested. On Saturday last the p.s. Rangariri, with a number of hand* under the direction of Captain Soutter, was engaged putting the boom across the river at Cam budge. The boom, which consists of a number of kauri logs strung together on a chain, runs across the river from the old wharf to the old punt landing on the opposite side, thus affording a large and conveniently situated in-take for the timber as floated down from the bu«sh. A few cases of dynamite were taken up the river several days ago for the purposo of removing some of the 1 ocky obstructions in the river, but owing to the highness of the liver, nothing could be done* Sawyers are at present busily engaged in the Waotu bush cutting down the trees, and these in due time will find their way down the rher to Cambridge. The principal classes of timber in this bush are totara. ritnu, kihikatea and inatai. The qualities of these timbers are sufficiently well-known to requiie any special notice on our part. We hope before long to «cc the Waikato Timber Company one of the most flourishing institutions of its kind in the province.