WAIKATO WATERWAY;

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16763, 1 February 1918, Page 4

WAIKATO WATERWAY;

NAVIGATION LEAGUE FORMED MINISTER MAY VISIT RIVER. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] HAMILTON, Thursday. A iarob and representative meeting, called for the purpose of discussing the formation of a Waikato River Navigation League was held last night. The Mayor, Mr. J. W. Ellis, presided. He said they possessed a valuable asset' in the Wai- " kato waterway.-: The great trouble had I.been that there had never been anyone in charge of the river,' which was"now in a i worse state than during' the Maori War, j , when the country was largely fed from , Auckland by means of it. The magnificent ' waterway hud not been properly developed , 1 owing to lack of control and money. The formation of the proposed league would be a first step towards the establishment of i a board to have the control of the river. Mr. J. A. Young, M.P. for the district, i said he thought the suggested' formation of a river navigation league was on the . right lines. He had waited on tho Hon. . T. M. JWilford, Minister for Marine, last' week, the Minister displaying keen interest in the river and stating that ho realised the great advantage to the district its development would bring about. Mr. , Wilford had expressed his. willingness to make a 'trip"' up'. \tlieV river", preferably within a month. On the motion of Mr. G. Parr it was , unanimously resolved to form those present into a Waikato River Navigation League, with the object of forwarding the interests of navigation on all the navigable , , waterways between Cambridge and Pirongia and Port Waikato. The mover said he understood that only about ten miles of the river required urgent attention. The following were appointed a com» ; mittee :—Messrs. Whitnker, president of j the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce; WilI kinson, Mayor of Cambridge Wallace, i president of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce; Dean, Hamill, Johnson, Frost, Hamilton, Bond, G. Parr, English, Heniy, . and Wilson. Subsequently the committee 1 elected Mr. Whitaker chairman, and Mr. I Nelson secretary. It was decided to invite ! the Minister for Marine to view the river, ; and to invite interested members of Parlia- . ment, Mayors and chairmen of local • bodies, to make the trip with the Minister. The party will probably go to Cam'bridge, and thence proceed to the Heads by boat. 1