THE HON. MR HALL AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1506, 28 February 1882, Page 2

THE HON. MR HALL AT CAMBRIDGE.

Mr Hall arrived in Cambridge, in company with Mr J. B. Whyte, at about 6 o'clock on Friday evening, and proceeded to Mr Kirk woods- new hotel, where he was met by a deputation from the Cambridge Town Board, consisting of Messrs. Thoa. Wells, and R, Kirkwood. Mr Whyte having introduced the deputation, Mr Wells said it had been his privilege on previous occasions to have been one of a deputation to meet his (Mr ' Hall's) colleague, Mr Oliver, iv reference to the same matter. In regard to the - Rotorua road, what the past had resulted in he would show by figures, and^tr Hall would agree with him that however slo,w and unsatisfactory the progress lof tbis work had been, the result of the past two years was not so much from the amount of money spent ; but from the manner m which the work had been proceeded with. Neither Mr Hall nor ; any other member of the Government ever contemplated that the construction of this road would have taken the time it has taken. He had prepared statements to show the actual amount of work done, what actually had to be done, and the time at the present rate of progress ! which it would take to finish the work, . J The new road to Rotorua from Taupo^ road junction to Rotorua is 42 miles, 30 miles of which is open country, and 12 bush. Of this 13 miles has been made by the constabulary, and the rest (7 miles) by contract, leaving at the present time 10 miles of open country yet to construct, and 12 miles of bush. It was I just two years' since the constabulary went to work on the road, and since that they had made 13 miles of road. The engineers had been on the work fox* nearly two years, and had not as yet got one mile of the bush ready to lei by tender. This would show how necessary a now departure was. During the past two years less than a third of the entire work had been done, and to continue the work at the same rate it would take four years more to complete it. Mr Hall fully admitted that the road had made much more unsatisfactory progress than could have been desired. But this had been chiefly owing to difficulties in conuection_with the natives there. An airangement had been made with the natives that for certain payments the road should be allowed to go through their land, and there was an understanding that they should be employed on the work at a fair rate of wages. That had been carried out, and, practically speaking, he could not say whether or not they had done any work at all. For a long time they had been endeavouring to come to a satisfactory arrangement with the natives, and they knew that for anything upon which they were depending on them, it was better to make a sacrifice of time than to cause trouble. He admitted that the time had arrived, and that they must make a fresh departure, and this was his reason for going up to see the natives at the bu&h. He would tell them what the anangements ot the Government were for them to do as much work as they could possibly do in a reasonable time. And jf they did not like to accept this arrangement — or at least fulfil their original engagement — they would carry the road on as they liked. He could tell them that the Government would ■ take no opposition to the formation of the road any longer. He had made arrangements to meet the nati\ es af the bush, when he would tell them his terms and give thorn to understaud his intentions. The llotouui Bocid he had himself taken great interest iv, and it was a great pity tlut it should be delayed. Now as the new Jtiotoi ua township was about to be formed this road was of great importance. Major Mair and Mr Hales were going to accompany him through, and they could depend upon it that they would do all they could. Mr Hales iv reply to Mr Hall said the work of survey was almost completed, and they would piobably have the whole finished in six weeks time. The road thiough the buth required to be carefully surveyed, and there was a good portion of it upon which men could be put at once. llr Hall • We are determined not to let nath c obstruction interfere with us. Mr Wells having expressed satisfaction on the pait of the deputation said the next matter he had to biing under the notice of the Government was that of opening the road through to Taupo. The road was in the county of West Taupo whei c the act was not in force, and the section which required forming, could be done for about £300. This would make the whole road from Cambridge through to Taupo available for wheeled traffic, and would bring them into communication with Napier. The desirability ofhaxiug this road opened had been icprescnted to him by a number of gentlemen. The natives through whose land the road would run v ere all willing — in fact de&iious — that the road ' should be made, and as they were now making claims for assistance to open the toad, the Government need fear no tiouble. Mi- Hall said they had got no vote for it at present, but promised to bear it in mind next session. Mr Wells \\ ould like if it wore possible that it should be done this summer. Mr Why to thought the constabulary could be put on the work if a sufficient number weie brought from the West Coast. Mr Hall said the Government had been straining the revenue considerably already. Mr Wells thought it would be a judicious expenditure of public money as it would tend to open up a line of traffic through the country, and give access to a large area of land. Mr Kirkwood remarked that it would recoup the expenditure by bringing additional traffic to the railway. In the matter of the Cambridge railway Mr Wells remarked that anything they had got to say was more of a complimentary nature than anything else, as he had I heard the contract was about to be let for the first 3£ miles of the line. Ho did not know whether it would be asking too much, to ask — if there were funds — that the contract be let for the remaining J portion. Mr Hall replied that there were funds, and as soon as the survey was finished the other contracts would be let without delay. Mr Wells then drew attention to the Karapiro bridge. Be said they had been under the impression for the last two months that the Government were going to build them a bridge over the Karapiro. He could not say hovt long the structure wouid last, V but their engineer at the last meeting of the T6wn Board wished to wash his hands of the consequences that might arise from the bridge tumbling down. It might be repaired^ for about £60 or £70 so that" it might be safe for traffic i until a; new bridge was erected, but this sum^uone of the local bodies could afford t ,~:'\*' { >* Mr Hall thought tbaipogen £60 or £70 was a cionsideratibnVto*'the.:sQoveMunentc i onsideratibnVto*'the. : 5QoveMunent at the present time. sHjeLcouM assure thenf tliat the funebfset aparlb, for public works were coming vfco"sa,nT end. He thought, however, ithai-^tiife;,; condition ■■ of the present structure^ exaggerated, as it/couldV.nbtV possibly be" m such imniw^nt;.#n^e?vf |A, ';; .^

Mr Hales did not think it in any danger at all if they did not carry extraordinary traffic over it. Mr Hall aaid that with regard to the Government going to build a bridge, he did not know how that impression got abroad. In considering the matter of subsidy he had found it necessary to have more information and, therefore, he had asked for a report on the work. It had been implied that the bridge was one they were going to erect, simply because the structure had been reported on by the Government engineer. Tins was not so, but they hoped to be able to assi&t in the erection of a new and more suitable bridge. If they undertook this bridge they must be prepared to undeitake every, bridge, and Hamilton people -wouldj^sk them to pay off the debt of thoit%- It was, notwithstanding, true that this was a main line of road through to Rotorud, and theiefore they must reasonably expect assistance. Mi- Kirkwood thought that if the Government would assist the local bodies they could proceed to build a budge. Mr Hall hoped that they should be able to cany their suggestion of last session in reference to local governing bodies during the coming session. If special grants had to bo made he thought that this was a w ork for which loc.\l bodies ight look for assistance. Anything in the way of reports or plans winch might assist them they could get from the Government engineer, Mr Halea. Mr Whyte said it the. Government would let them ha\c a few huudred pounds, the local bodies would set to work with perhaps a few private subsciiptions and do it. Mr Hall promised lie would bear it in mind for next session, as this was a special work which fairly claimed assistance. Between the Piako and Waikato County Couucils, the local highway boards, and the Government he was certain it would soon Le done. The Town Endownments was the next matter brought forward. Mr Wells said they had already taken the neccssarry steps to adopt the Town Districts' Act. At the time the lion. Mr Whitaker represented their district, lie was deputed by Mr Stout to confer with the local bodies in selecting some allotments within the town to be temporarily reserved for the town until it became a municipality. Being himself the chairman of the board at the time lie assisted Mr Whitaker in &o doing, and some 45 acres were accordingly set apai t. These were lepoited upon as not being hypothecated for any other purpose, and by Mr Stout weie withdrawn from .sale, and in this position the lands lay at present. Mr Whitakcr with whom lie hart Bince conferred on the matter had told him that the Act under which they were to be granted to them was since repealed, and therefore some action would have to be taken before they could come into possession of the property. Mr Hall was afiaul what Mr Whitukcr had said was quite conect. The fact was that they found the dilTeicnt small towns throughout the countiy were too icady to recehe l.uulud endowment by becoming municipalities, that every acre would ha\e been piactically an endowment, and therefore Parliament .stepped in. He would apply and find out whether this applied to town sections as well as country sections. Mr Wells thought that in thib matter they had some special claims on the Government, as they had already taken the preliminary s>tops to get the Town Districts Act in fOlf 01 cv. Mr Hall promised to enquire into the matter, and see what could be (lone. Mr Wells said their .special claim in the matter was that they weiu ouo of the , military townships, and consequently one of unusually Luge aiea, and lequiied greater expenditmc foi laying out then streets, and tliercfote wanted some little revenue to .ibhist in doing so. Mr Wells then diew attention to the own survey w Inch he lepoited as m a very unsatibfaotoiy ->t;ite, and hoped the Go\ eminent would h.uc a, piopei survey defined for people to go by. Mr Hall piomiscd to sec Mi Kolleston on the matter, \\ lio would perhaps arrange with Mr Smith about the survey. The deputation then thanked the Pioinier and retiied.

At the conclusion of the deputation Mr Whyte and the Premier in looking over the list of unexpended \otes found a sum of money from w Inch the Premier expressed himself a& being able on his return to Wellington to spend the £400 as a subsidy for the Kaiapuo bridge, and JC3OO for the Cambiidge-Taupo load near Manga iti. After the deputation Mi* Hall accompanied Mr Wells to the Kaiapuo biidgc, and inspected it for himself. He enthely coincided with the mc\\s> expies&ed by the dc2>uttition as to the laisnig of the biidgc 12ft. above its present level.