TOWN DISTRICTS BILL—RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6116, 24 June 1881, Page 5

TOWN DISTRICTS BILL—RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Cambridge, Thursday. A lakge and influential public meeting was held here last night re the Town Districts Bill and railway communication. Mr. J. P. Campbell occupied the chair, and in a long and exhaustive speech opened the proceedings by giving a synopsis of the Town Districts Bill, showing wherein it differed respectively from the Highways Act and the Municipal Corporations Act, and how eminently suited it was for adoption by the people of this township. The following resolutions were passed :—

1. That tHis meeting considers the Town Districts Bill introduced during the last session of Parliament is eminently suited to the requirements of this district, giving as it does all the beneficial powers bestowed by the Municipal Corporations Act without the cumbersomu and expensive machinery attaching thereto, and that Mr. Whyte be requested, in the event of the Bill being brought before the House, to propose that Cambridge be added to the list of towns mentioned in the schedule at the end of the Bill. 2. That a petition be drawn \vp and signed by those present at this meeting, praying Parliament during this present session to adopt this or a similar Act (with the amendments suggested by the local body). 3. That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the members for Waikato and Waipa, and that the petition be forwarded to the member for the district for presentation to the House of Representatives

The question of railway communication ■was then brought forward, when it was resolved :—l. That this meeting considers that unnecessary delay has taken place in causing a survey of the Cambridge railway line to be made, seeing that the survey lately made by the Government is merely a flying survey, and not available as a basis on which to invite tenders. 2. That having in view the fact that the line has been recommended by the Eoyal Commissioners, and has been proved by statistics, prepared at the expense of the people of this district, to return interest on the cost of construction, this delay is most inexplicable. 2. 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. 4. That the member for the district be requested to iii\»e upon the Government and in the House the necessity of a sum"being placed on the estimates for the construction of this line, and the gi-eat hardship which is inflicted upon the people of this populous 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 12 miles of constructed railway. 5. That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to Mr. Why te, anil that Mr. "Whitakcr be asked to co-operate with the member for Waikato in this matter so virtually affecting the interests of the whole district.

The meeting, which was very unanimous and enthusiastic, then broke up.