The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 2, 4 May 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1872.

I', v iulvoi'u! iiif£ I In; speedy completion .of the mil'.viiy bd.ween Auckland find Mercer, it in only the luuTu'.v-Luindud au<l unthinking who wlio will charge us with illiberally towardn the other J'lovinoes and lho.se portions of this, which will not derive direct benefit from i.ln eonstruefioii. In the neighbourhood, of Auckland, there is singularly little laud availu\n'i lor aL;rii:iilliiral purposes or pastoral [Mirsuitfl, with the exception of that in this dislrict; upon us, therefore, the Province of Auckland miiihl, depend to relievo it from the not very creditable ■ position of importing"large quantities of breadstuff-*, also of sheep and catllc, to i'vo(\ the fust-increasing- population. Nearly two-thirds of the Hour consumed in this I'roviiKo hi the prod nee of oilier parts of the colony, or brought by ship from South Australia. This fact is, no doubt, owing", in :i. very great measure, io tli-e unsettled staie of the conn fry, during iho past few Laving - prevented the reclamation and cultivation of lands ea[table of producing an abundance of grain ofevcry description. There has, however, been another cause at work, viz., the cost and difficulty of transport. The facilities the Wajkato Steam Navigation Company olferal to. the selllors last year, for the disposal of all the wheat they could produce, acted as an incentive upon some of our .farmers to sow a considerable number ol acres. Jt is calculated that u'UO acres, of wheat were sown; but, in consequence of an exceedingly unfavourable season, to which all countries are periodically liable, the produce was not so great as they had a right to anticipate. On the completion of the railway to jUeicer, there is nothing to prevent the \Y aikato (ruin attaining t,o. that foremost position which its. land, climate, and mineral resources, entitle if to hold'. .Wsiilway or 1 o railway, it must advance ;in the one ease its advance will be slow and sure, and in the other no less sure, and much more rapid. The opponents of the Public-Works contemplated by the (iovcrnniont. use as a stock argument, that many of the railways in contemplation will not pay interest and cost of working. We shall not pause to dispute this question with them, although we hold a different opinion* The question of the imimmediaie payment of interest is of very little importance compare! with the wealth aynie.lv inust luqessarily accrue to the colony bv the opening up and settlement of the country. There are men in this world who are incapable o( seeing beyond the ends of 1 heir noses, and ■ amongst the shout-sighted genus we niusjt class those who are incapable oC grasping the fact, that if we expend AT),COO per annum in interest' on the money ])O(C.-sary io const met u rail way, and in consequence £3 0,000 is added to the wealth of the colony, that the transaction is a beneiicial one -1 n the case of the Auckland, and [Mercer railway, we feel" confident that within u vorv few years after- its construction the I'rovince of Auckland, in place of importing grain and cattle, the cost of which goes to enrich other parts of this, if not another, colony, that she will at least produce sufficient foivher own population.. Let the opponents of railways consider this before they give fuotious opposition to-tho l-ailway 'scheme' as they are pleased to term it. Our railAvay, in spite of them, will soon be a fact, and the day is not far distant when we shall" see onr rivers covered wiihrsteamens, our fertile plains covered with waving corn, and. lowing cattle) andiheba'uks of our streams dotted with +Jb.Q residences of a .contented happy people.

S At a meeting of Hit , Town Board of Ngariiawabia, held on Thiuday eveiling last, ;i Hum of £2.0 was voted for tbe-piiirpoee o£«tipploni(;ntiiig X.'J.'i )os., SoP-thli I^JT" HO/ "f meeting a wharf at the junction of and Waipa. t The f W. >S. Is. Cotrip&ny curit<:inplat«i erectingHjic \y\Mri, /Wiintf the balance of expense-: ". Tifa f Company has done a groat" (led towards devefoj)"- ! iiiLf iifld opening up'.the trade of this district, null their-offer fni tlas occasion: no doubt, a libfcr|U ■;(,i/," Wt)Ht $Lour rcniyfs ■will, however, ramip^St " the Ktyfy of Jiiowji who bongH^t aiiciion a door-plate with Smith on it because it went cheap. ft appeals t'i us that our tvorthy ('ouncillois have made a similar purchase. A y.HOil vviiarf has already been erected by private i eukjrpriiierwlucU ie quite nutlicmiLioi our,, present ■AantH. We aie of opiulnii that the A'2o could Tfave been nnjoli better applied We regret tliat the "late liour at wliicli our first Issue whs completed precludwLthej>()sail>ility of _our '. minding t]ie full complcinerit to our agerits in the •nuineioiiK centres of population ■ We have haul profit ditliuultics to-contend witli. being de,layed I verv much by the non-arrival of a box containing Lα portion of the plant which \v.ag absolutely re- ! ijinred tr> bring out the paj)er- " Our sul).scribers ' may feel asaured that nothing of the kind will occur again. ■ ■ Tlic Steamer "Blue Ko.se," from Alexandra, pas.scd tliis place at one o'clock yesterilay. She had a Large in tow containing r>;! head of cattle, , which .she will land; at Mercer.. These cattle were purchased in the Waikato by Mr. Knox for the supply of the Auckland market. On the completion : of the railway to Mercer, we shall be brought .within a few hours steam of Auckland.' This will have tho natural ellect of causing .the cattle trade .of: the provincial capital'to fall into the hands of the VVai- ; kafco settlers, 'who should spare no.exertions to prove themselves ctjual to the occasion. We have, to. request that the Secretaries of the Town and District Boards will be kind enough to foniish. with a digest of their proceedings, in order that we may be enabled fco furnish our sub.scribers with tlie information. It will 1)0 seen l>y advertisement in another column that.Tenders are required for the formation of a road in the township of Ngaruawahia. Countable Kelly, .one of the representatives of l.he Armed Constabulary at. the prize-ruing at Christchurch arrived from Auckland by Coach" yesterday, tie is tho winner of the fourth prize at 40U. 50U and (SUO yards, and the third, prize in the •'All Comers" match. He stood seventh in the aggregate score at all ranges, his score being only 2^f; points' less than the Champion's. The Auckland, papers contain,, a copy of the articles of contract between the Hon. i\lr. Bufi'y, representing Victoria, and the Hon. Julius Vogel, The contract is too lengthy.to be inserted in full, but

'we jmrpose giving the terms of the principal pro ■ visions in our next issue. iVlr. (j . A. Beerc has been licensed to act as Cold Holds .Surveyor. Thursday next is appointed by ITia Excellency the (;loveriior to be kept as a public holiday am occasion for general thanksgiving for the recovery of the Prince of Wales from his lato illness. Divini .service is to be held in all the Churches in Auck laud. We have been (requested by the Bridge Com mittee to request that the petition forwarded foi signature to the did'ercnt townships maybe re turn ei iinmediately.