MEANS OF TRANSPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20339, 21 August 1929, Page 14

MEANS OF TRANSPORT.

Sir,—The possibility of transporting produce from, sav, the Hamilton district of the Waikato to Auckland, three waters and two canals, i.e., W.iikato River, Waiuku Canal, Manukau waters, another canal Manukau to \\aitemata, has really been thought practicable by some. There are two other means of transport from the Waikato to Auckland, viz., road and railway. With the limited information I possess I would like to make a comparison of the three routes of transport. Take the canal route first. A farmer or station-holder sends a load of wool or other produce to Auckland, first a motor-lorry to the Waikato River and on to a river carrier, which will have to negotiate the Waikato, then the Waiuku Canal, tho construction of which has been accomplished, a canal between two waters with a considerable difference of levels at each end. The river carrier then negotiates the Manukau waters, and has then to get through the other canal :o the Waitemata water. Like the Waiuku canal tho Manukau and Waitemata levels are always different, some two hours' difference in the time .of high water', but the engineers of the canals having got over this difficulty by locks or some other means, the cargo carrier then negotiates the Waitemata from Whau Cree'k to Auckland wharf. It still wants another motor-lorry to convey the goods to the warehouse, and all this being accomplished, say, in four days, I am afraid even to give the cost. Now, just take tho road route. The lorry, instead of going to the river, runs straight to the Auckland warehouse, thus the goods, instead of taking four days get to their destination in four hours, and the cost is perhaps a third of that by the first route. The third route would be the railway, perhaps not quite as quick as by road. Wm. Ross.