THE WANGANUI RIVER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 13 May 1913, Page 4

THE WANGANUI RIVER.

TOURIST AND TRADE HIGHWAY-

"■ WHAT THE FUTURE HAS IN

STORE.

OAPTAJN UNIQUE I yj. ::■;..:■■:-i PROPOSAL.

■ --OF.' LQjQKS r -\SS GGKSTEI*,,-,,... .;;. • (By v (Special to "Chronicle.") , . ' ■■ '■■y;?.-.;.-y ■■f,v^ ' --^ ■■ ■ ..■-■■ ..■ ■ .'■■■■■* i. , . ; ••; V'"f. ■■■'< 'Ajgc^^NDj^ai^r^,,. ~,-■..... A jealously.gU^l^st^of^ush:'two ~ .; ; miler wide' maffi ihe cbuSrso" of the' " Wiiigdn%ißiver for the greater.'part of its length? The forest beyond that strip; vis hieing rapidly/cleared away (says tin* Tavunaruhiii V cbrresporiden.t . for £". the "Herald");b*ut; "thanks to.the vigilance of thVrWa^amftV River Trust, th© . beautiful flord of New Zealand may still bo admired 'on-hpttavbankß of the 'river,,: and .will Temaih there in Bpite of the .: clamour ofland : h|ingry settlers. Th© ; correspondent Says- when it- is remembered that during the" 'whole of the-sum-mer several thousand' oversea visitors, mako the riyer.trip it will be recognised that thfe is jreally" a nia- . * tional institutibit. ■ Fifty tourists ft - • trip during: the height of the season *' was the average this year, and the boats did three trips » week\ Leaving out of -account ■ the _ material ■ beneirt. derived.by many .business people 1 from. ■ these visftors, it'would be a piece of / sheer vand to destroy what gives , -. so anuch pleasure vto who visit our \shores,l|).u!t: the Wanganui. river is not merely..ia:-nighway of pleasure. >.«. has proved -great: aid to settlement as well- fit;rbearsjaway the produce of hundreds ,of settlers, end brings to- , them the. goods which they require. In. ' tlio early days the Waikato rendered preci\ely'a similar service, and,ceased to do so. only when iJho railway •wasj. : ;built. .The "day miay^oome when .the 1:. Wanganui river will cease to-be a' high-' ; > Hvav. of commerce:/but that: day Js pro- ; . ibably:.fa.r^d;istanti,^^^ be^anse,; nnlike,;the r .-Waika^xiM"lll!? ft iaiconsiderable-dis- (^' :, / : tAn<»^rdmAl the^-railway';..I'Jirie:i,'. In'the : courso^ -,6.f "■■■'&£, .inferview-daptain Marshall, ran a^fteamer on tho W^ik'atQj'fpr^nfteen years, and -who has bd^nvf^fthe past'twenty years en--oaged^|n^l^o^in'g after the J>rot3csiv« works; loji wh. • Wan ajanui river, rui, lie,- -. /. half of^ibhV^Jßiv^r Trust. s<»id he yrun ;.x6nvin|e^:^Jto•:^, l^iverJ:■wi^;^l)er,^«•n^ '"■remait^;'^;;j^n^tdia)>hlghwny t ;;:;\( •;■ H(\ y, :;•'. s-i , therefj^oV;*&ocates cphstracttng, :n it fi ser.ic^;vp.f^|6ckß: ■wl^igh '^.o^iicl ■■] : .Vtindo^r."-... A it eajji_|v^ .•n^m^ablo. : Captain-Manhs 11 thirikhfgfcuat ,15ivlocks between Tiauinar- . nnui ap^<rW4'?g4nu'' would be •snUi^jenu. _ . .Theso^j&uid^Rt^about^^ £10:000 .api^..4*^Itr wasj|^pt i|ikely ithat a -wtft^ft^ •.'*■■ eyer bij'frUnPclosel bpside the Wmffgimii rive?, |ftsv this -wouH:^^^ "parallcP' ..il»» r Main There wo'ildy jlhw> • ;fore, a^ifcaysiibp,. a: large amount.of : or'3inaryi^^affi^>j!gin the river, J*nart_~ol~ ':' jtogether)\d^Jm.: tnati of-' the' tiO'tristfi.•.-.: • -•' .The co^&f^^iie locks would not; I#e moro,il. ~„ ' than vj*penth\of;.thi^^t^Fa'rl^ §®frs4- fy■ \ and th|^ allow- hl^ Jahd' fa"st "*1 Rteam^r^tijiijitrade up as^ fir as *^^-J . '■marWui^U-'i'.,'^^; /■'.^'''j ■-■■.-'< '»\... ■ ."•? ~^-;^>..