Wanganui River Trust.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11948, 18 May 1903, Page 2

Wanganui River Trust.

The'following correspondence has been banded to us far publication:—

Wanganui, March! 31, 1903. Report <^ the Wanganui River Trust, 1902-3.;

Members. —T. D. Uuahmins, Government nominee (chairman), T. B. Williams, W. G. Basset* and A. Bignell (elected by ratepayers of the borough); A. Matrick (Mayor), W. Ritchie (chairman Waitotara County Council), R. Neilson (chairman Wanganui County Council), Lloyd Jones .(chair-, man Wanganui Chamber oi Commerce), A. D. Willis and W. Syioes (M?s.H.R.). ; To 0. W. Hursthouse, Esq., Chief Engineer of Roads, Wellington. 7 Sir, —-I have pleasure in on the works completied and in progress by this Trust for the twelve months ending March 31.

The Tangarakau Stream is now cleared for light draft steamers and oanoe traffic ' to Kohurutahi, some 16 miles from its confluence with the Wanganui River, and is available fon traffic for which the,clearance

■was intended. During the year a constant service lias been maintained by , launch and canoe. . ■ ,: To make the work on the Tangarakau of real value to thie settlements, it is intended to serve, viz., tlhe WJfcangamomona and Koburutahi districts, iti is imperative that the roading be pushed on to the Kohurutahi landing. I wall not further refer to the Tangarakau other than 1p draw your - attention to the valuable report of.,Mr. J. T. Stewart. C.E., a former chairman of the Trust, and .afterwards sseoretary with charge of the works. MrV Stewart's extensive knowledge of rivet! improvement gives his report enhanced value.

Below Pipiriki some work was found necessary in the vicinity of Te Rimu and Upoko-po-ito rapids, and has received attention.

At Pipiriki it was found necessary to increase the wharfage accommodation and a second wharf, a most substantial structure, has been erected at a cost of about £178. ■' • ' "

On the upper reachtes of the Wanganui s River a good and substantial work has "been completied to a P^nt (Waikorire) about) 102 miles from Wanganui and 8 below Ohiira. At Tarepokiore (95 miles) a very considerable difficulty, itself, an immense block of timber almost completely closing navigation ev,en for canoe traffic. This, has been removed, and traffic is now available for light d!rafij •steamens. Indeed, dteing the past month Messrs. Hatrick and Co.'s launches have made tha journey to Retaruke and Ohura. Attention has been given to thie maintenance of the (river already opened for traffio, and the service has been carried on mithouli interruption by -a fleet of five steamers and two oil launches.

The tolls earned during the year amounted to £5229 17s. Id., of which a sum of £26 7s. lid. is still outstanding and owing by tha Wanganui Settlers' Steamer Company. . . A total sum of £1603 9s. 2d. has been expendied on the river and tributary prejviously referred to. In conclusion, I would like to place on record my appreciation of <fehe good services of Captain Allan Marshlall, foreman of works, who has carried on the business an a most able and satisfactory manner. To expedite the wosK diuring1 the comingl year it is absolutely necessary that a pant fully equipped with oil engine >and hoist should be procured, and I would place special importance on -the fact that a launch driven by steam, or an oil engine, is indispensible for the purpose of th« Trust, and sooner or later nrasti h& procured foi? economising haulage and! labour. I have th<j honor to be, Sir, Youts faithfully, . . Ti V. C?UMMIN!S|, Chairman Wanujanui River Trust.

Wanganui. May; 6, 1903. •To T. D. Ctommdns, Esq., Chaiitmian River Trust.

• At your invitation td'me, a farmer chairman of the River Trust. I lasited the upriver works in progress in the latter part of February last. Tangatfakau River Clearine1 of Channel.— The water waa low and enabled ,th© work done to be -well seen. Much bid lodged timber, including trunks''of trees with1 large roots, and heavy logs, has been moved out of the channel and piled! up along both sides of the river in suitable places. A part of those has been wired to keep in place, and other portions show signs of silting up among the timber. > SeveraTfloods have been over these since they wene taken ou*, but the timber does not seem to have i moved, i

Extreme floods such as those of 1891 bare not yet) ooourred over this work; but the experience of such floodß iv the Waniganui Rive* shows that channels there, once cleared, remain sor although the confined character of the Tangarakau River BOtuewbat increases the risk of damage in exceptional floods, as compared t with th» Wanganui River channels. A clear channel has been opened out in the Tangarakau so tbafc -when! the -water is slightly above summer level the_ oil launch can go safely up, and'also in higher levels of ■waiter, during the major portion of the year. This could not be done with any safety prior to clearing. In times of low level of water canoes keep the traffic going. ' The bars at the rapids have been judiciously cleared! and deepened, and this does not seem, to have been injurious to the still reaches between the rapids. In regard to this, the deepening of those bars requires careful consideration. The clearing, as indicated, bias been done tight up to the Putikituna landing, and the ■workhw? party was engaged above- this, going towards Kahuratani landing, having already made a clear channel along the large block of old timber from above the Putikituma Cbeek. The work here has been heavy, and a large quantity of snags has been removed: and wiled up along both banks' and wired to lessen risk of moving. Borne distance above this had also been olearecl, the work not being so heavy here. It is evident that in excessive floods a good deal of timber comes down the Putikituna Creek, and may be carried! into the Tangarakau here, above the Putikituna landing. This would suggest; the desirability of completing the Putikituna road, as •well as the Kohuratabi road1. In general, lorach heavy amd difficult work'has-been done in the Tangaflakau, and done in ■a. very satisfactory manner. Wanganui River. —In regard to the work in the Wanganui River above, the Tangaraiau junction, tone work of clearing channel lhad at tihis time progressed! up to the Kakanohau rapid, above 9 miles above the Tangarakau. . The works are being canned on in a similar manner to that first done to the portions of the river below the Tangarakau, ' via, clearing and improving a practicable channel to enable the steamers to go up -with safety, and allowing further improvements to be afterwards canned out in ■Various places where the requirements ol the steamer traffic- show them to be necessary ; and tihis system may judiciously be carried on right up to the Tambaranux, thus opening, througn «w»ntunication as soon as possible. ~.,,, In my former report <inclu*te<i m paper* of Lands and Survey Department, 189§, Monm a was mientioised fchab "The gorgy tinned c^acter of the raver co^inue 8 from b>l<"* upwards tto about 125 W&*

from Wanganui, and the general stability of the banks, owing to the papa formation on bot)h sides, continues for some miles furthen up, and for the remaining distance to Tamiaxantui wove care will be/ required to twain the channels in the shallows. In the last few miles the channels will require special attention and will in some places be more liable to shifib."

It has been proposed to construct a road about 7 miles in length from Te Mairo to Taumaranui, connecting with thie steamer at Te Maro; but it would) seem preferable to have continuous water carriage right up to Taumaranui, adapt/ing the style of the steamer to suit this upper portion of navigation and tihus connect to the Main Trunk Railway without an intermediate change in the mode of conveyance. (Signed) J. T. STEWART.