WAIKATO RIVER SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 64, 15 March 1916, Page 8

WAIKATO RIVER SERVICE.

MTNTSTERIAI, INSPECTION. •—SUBSTANTIAL GRA"NT PROMISED. r (By Ihvu Correspondent.) '".' ' HAMILTON, this day." Thanks to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, a very active interest is now fKcen in the furtherance of tha ' echeme for the navigation of the WaiKiv er - About twelve months ago, -•uJitougJt.the energy of the local chamber, the proprietors of the Menc'er Stean.- ,- ---—-ship Company wi-ru induced to freight Uaifiata as far as Hamilton, anj 22tSc biisanea-s having grqwn owing to the , large sivingH.in" freight to the benefit '.' ci the buisineiis houses of Hamilton, 'las -i-Eainsed the chamber to give the river further-attention. The fact that ~~at J points at fiercer and at other places the rivex a, difficult of navigation, led to the matter being brought before the Minister for Marine (Dr. R. McXab), :i_s.nd by.aiprearrangement with the Minis,Jer a trip was arranged yesterday for an ■""irSpeetion of the waterway as far as iiCnntlji The Minister was acx-ompanirl . ; by Mr. R. BollaTd, member for Raglan, '""Mi-. W. H. Wernham. president of the :-_ HamiHonj Cliainber. antl Messrs. J. W. .Ellis, C. B. S&itb, Wm. Paul, H. H. How- *'-£&, Or Parr, Josep-h Clark, J. Brcmne-, Auid-and G. Boyes. The party left ■ , t>£ the A'lbatrocn and journeyed ac far "US TaupiTi. when the Minister had fio ,;r<)p.portuiiity of witnessing some of tlu; diiiicuitiee by --way of sandbanks and -'snags Tinder . which the traders labour. ; The party had the fortune or misfortune of getting stuck on a sandbank ..midway bctweerr Ngaruaivahia and Tau"pfri, and' several of . Hamilton's pro--.'-aiunent—eitizens had perforce to disi'obe ..and assist to get the boat clear. \A hile I *~fc£tiein{r a delay of an liour or more. t)io gave the. Minister concreta evidence of souie-of the disadvantages to '"t)e encountered. .V .TJie-pas-tr-arrived at Taupiri at one o'clookj and--after lunch the Minister • officially met t-bc party in conferehea. — 2rUr. W'-ordhsLtn pointed out to the Mini*--ter that the ilevelopmeiit of the Wai"RT\er from a navigation point of view, was seriously "retarded .in conse**tjuenc* of thp sand bars and snags, causing trudere undue delay and expense in Ilic airrying of freight. He ftirther exp!a;aed that it.. was nuiv almost certa'u 'Vint direct shipping from CTnehunga ■war; assure;), and it Was felt that if the 'Minister could authorise the expendituie of a small fam of money to clear the river at different placed, that it would be a vpry great benelit, not only to naviiation, but to the Whole of the district immediately joining the Waikato Rivor. - -Messrs. Parr. and. Ho wden and other members, supplemented . ..these, 'remarks, after which the Minister assured t'w fhanibcr that, he was not only in errtii'. , 6ym|)atby -with the scheme, but fully realised the-necessity of something beinj done. Hi! wao sure that there would le no difficulty of having the sum uf £400 placed on the estimates for t'nie ■work,- and he felt sure that he could safely promise this amount. He commented on t?he reasonable manner in •which the chamber had approached him and assured them, that lie would have an estimate prepared by "experts as to the actual cost oS the work, neeeesavv, ;imd the chamber later. «£■'• ,r - .:;,"? > \ - '■Tγ. ", ".