NAVIGATION OF THE WAIKATO

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 63, 14 March 1918, Page 9

NAVIGATION OF THE WAIKATO

jjCPBOVEMENT SCHEKES IN . VIEW.

HOX. T. M. WILFORD'S VISIT.

ft has been apparent to quite a number v busings menand settlers in the Waii'to that not enough uee lias been made ftheWaikato River and ite tributaries, i which there are several hundreds of il« as a highway for traffic, which if fillv'developed would relieve roads in J: T i c inity of tire river of an immense mount of traflic in the worst part of Jvi Tear There nrc alao prospp.ets of irU communication with Aiistrftlia. Stands of tons of ferMiieere which are M in the Waikato couW be brought •' thfou"h tUe Waikato Heads, which is 'b-p on a days steaming nearer to Australia than Auckland is.

DEVELOPMENT OK TRADE. Tiurin" the last eighteen months a trad has been worked Up between Auckland and Hamilton and Cambridge. ""the Waikato River, and Pironna, on Z Waipti. There are phyeical dis.Wlities which Oauee a great deal ot Jfottble at certain times of the year. S amon-st which are shallow sections f Hie river and several submerged Strata With a view of getting the Irovemente effected, such ac enage renovVd and sandbanks dredged, a R.ver v»vi»ation Le:i?<ifi bae been formed in l'h» Waikato, with Hamilton as the eenL They have been sneeesaful in in1' ting the Minister of Marine in this "otter rtnd he has acceded to a request 7 he League to make a trip over the ler from Cambridge to Port AVaikato. cose on 100 miles. By making tnie trip « Minister will .act a first-hand knowledite of tire improvements needed to niake a continuous channel from Port tfaikatd to Cambridge.

MINISTER ARRIVES AT FRANKTOX. The Minister, accompanied by Mr. G. Alport (Secretary of Marine), Mr C. E. (Kens (Wellington). Mr. G. T. Murray iPnblic Works District Engineer, Auckland), and Uγ. Poulton (private secreiarv to the Minister), arrived at Frankton" Junction by the Main Trunk Express from Wellington at 3.30 o'clock this morning, and at S o'clock was joined t>r a party consisting of Mr. J. A. Yonne. M.P. (Waikato), Mr. 1. W. Rhodes, M.P. (Thsmes). Mr. R. F. Bollard, M.l*. (Raglan). Mr. J. T. Johnston (Chairman of Directors of the Waikato Shipping Company). Mr. .T. B. Thompson (Government Land Drainage Engineer) Mr. E. T. Frost (Tuakau). Mr. H.K.E.L. Wily (Mauku). and a number of local members of the league and representatives of the Hamilton and Cambridge Borough Councils and Chambers of Commerce. MAYORAL RECEPTION AT CAMBRIDGE. The party then proceeded to Cambridge, by niotor. where the Mayor (Mr. Wilkinson), on behalf of the citizens, accorded the Minister an.l party a civic reception at the Town Hall. The Minister suitably responded, and the party adjourned to the landing on the river bank, where a lnrpre number embarked on the oil launch Albatross for Hamilton, which was reached at 10.30 o'clock. THE TRIP OX THE RIVER. There the party transferred to the TVaikato., Shipping Company's paddleefeamer Freetrader, and started off on a long journey to Mercer, where the party expected to arrive at 3.30 o'clock. The attention of the Minister was first drawn to a shoal of rocks at the Narrows, between Cambridge and Hamilton. Some blasting away ia needed here to m'den the channel, which ia very narrow and is only negotiated with difficulty by the larger boats. The party also hailed at Ohinewai. where many large snags were pointed out. This is a place where many a boat has come to grief. Only lately two boats were Enagged here. A judicious use of explosives would remove all danger of such occurrences. Between Ohinewai and Churchill, in the vicinity of Bangiriri. is the shallowest section, and it, is here that the boats have the most difficulty towards the end of the summer. By groyning several of the worst places and dredging this could easily be improved. One or two shoal places between Churchill and Mercer that cauae trouble were also noted, besides several siiags ■that want removing , .