THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1906

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1485, 18 November 1905, Page 2

THE Waihi Daily Telegraph WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WAIHI MINER

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1906

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The proposed extension of the Waihi railway to Katikati and Tanranga, and thence on to Gißborne, giving rail facilities to farmers on tlio YM Coast, is referred to by tlip Qhmtr this week ih a -convincing article The extension has ben strongly advocated % the Telegraph, and it is pleasing to find that contemporaries are endorsing the idea. While we cannot (says the Oherver) endorse the argument of the Hon. James McGowan that it is necessiry for the Thames people to fight against Auok--1 land in order to get tln'ir lailway through to Ctisborne, yet we are convinced that he struck the right nail on the head when he said that sufficient weight had not'been attached to the importance of this line. Mr McGowan is right. All our agitation in this city haßbeen directed towards the prosecution of the North-Auckland ttailway, which is',not likely to be pushed on at a vigorous rate, however much we may ' \ fat • " ■A *"

stf\tP, ;: while;:works of grnaterimr' portnnoe to us, such as the extension to Gi.sborno and thie connection; be* tween ; Stratford and the North Island Main Trunk Railway, are wholly■', ignored.: It js scarcely a fact, as: Mr McGlowan says| '.bat the business people of Auckland have used their influence against the completion of the Upper Thames R:>ilAiraj\ At the same time, it is beyond question that • they have exerted very little influence in its favqiir, While the construction of ihe line■ '.was proceeding at snail's pace, before the Waihi Goldmining Company advanced the money tor. iia completion,'all the agitation in this city was in the. interests of the North Auckland Railway. Beyond an occasional argument, from Mri Herries or Mr Moss, at the Chamber of Commerce gatherings, not a word mis. heard in support of the, Upper Thafflfsline. that has ended now The railway has been opwied.jo Waibi, though for -this consummation tho Aucklaud rail way agistors are entitled to : no credit, Probably enough;many of them scarcely know where Waihi is, and would .be uuaware that there was such a town in existence if it were not for the substantial .monthly, gold returns from the, big mine. Be that as if may, the Hon, James Mo.' Cowan's speech will servo the .purpose of reminding them :thatj they, as well as the Thameß people, havp something to fight for that is worth fighting for in the matjorof railway extension towards the ; Easr Coasti Across.the Waihi plains to Katikati is a comparatively short distance, with, no engineering difficulties to face, and a large extent of excellent country to open up. Once'at Kalikati,= the extension to, Tauranjl; would he within measurable distance, and a, further extension to Opotiki and, Qißb'orne, as part of a main'trunk scheme, would follow as a mattor of course. It must'be obvious t'o'S the most commonplace uhderßtrnding that the ;Anckland people have been short-sighted in not figntirig' strenuously for railway communication;, with ; the fertile tractsof country on the East Coast. From the southern side, the railway has been carried from ,Wellington to Napier, leaving a; matte( of sixty or seventy miles to connect, with 'Gisborne. It is true that the difficnlMpr in tho wav of. this sixty or

Beverity miles are considerable, but, with so much at slake, these diffi- < enliies may be. overcome and the J trade of ibo whole of the East Const drained through lo Wellington The ! Hon. James McGowan wishesto , avert such an' eventuality, and,, granted' that he sees a prospect of ] . carrying the Waihi railway through < to Katiuati anil Taiiriinga to Gis- , borne, the Auckland people-ought ( certainly to strehgtheii his bands to ; the full extent of their power, \ ,