NAVIGATION OF WAIPA

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14640, 18 April 1921, Page 5

NAVIGATION OF WAIPA

NO DIFFICULT OBSTACLES SAND BARS EASILY MOVED, COMMISSION SITS AT PIRONGIA. The Inland Waterways Commission journeyed to Pironpia on Saturday, where the Waipa River was inspected at various points, and evidence taken. Mr J. T. Johnson, farmer, Pironpia, chairman of directors of the Waikato Shipping' Co., said there was a vote of £SOO on the estimates for removing the shoals from the Waipa, the Raglan and Waipa centres to contribute a further £SOO. Boats carrying 20 tons of cargo and towing barges were able to roach Pirongia during the greater part of the year. The speaker stressed the Importance of having the river made navigable, as the waterway was, for the whole length, fully seven miles from the railway until Ngaruawahia was approached. Good river connection would relieve the traffic on the roads considerably. He strongly advocated a river railway siding at Ngaruawahia. So long as there was a clear, navigable route to the sea it did not matter whether the outlet was on the east or west coast.

John Ormsby, farmer, said he remembered the “Pioneer," a Government gun boat, anchored at Pirongia 58 years ago. Up till about 30 years ago there was a regular steamer service on the Waipa. Feme of the vessels carried up to 60 tons of cargo, besides towing barges. The river was lower this year than he had seen it foe yea r s. Pirongia was the port of the whole of the Waikato right up to Te Kuiti, to where a special fleet of steamers used to run. In the early days Pirongia had a population of about 1000 people, In addition to about 500 Armed Constabulary. The majority ol the obstacles in the river were between Te Rore and Pirongia. Above Pirongia the shoals were of a more solid and difficult nature. If these shoals were blasted out, he thought the material thus obtained would well pay for the improvement works. He thought it would not be difficult to make the river navigable to Te Kopua about seven miles above Pirongia. If the river were made navigable as far as Te, Kuiti, and he thought this possible, it would serve a very big district. It was as cheap to bring goods from Auckland to Pirongia by water as it was to cart them from Te Awamutu to Pirongia. At present there, was no regular river service, and the district was dependent on the railway, but with a reliable water service the river would be deluged with traffic. Francis M. Jones, farmer, said he had sounded the river from Pirongia to Te Rore and except at the sand banks, there was a good depth of water m summer. He had tested the bars and found them easily removable. William J. Allcock, farmer, Te Rore, said there was really only one detriment to boats reaching Te Rore from Ngaruawahia in summer. This was a sand hank at Barker’s. At present he had to do all his carting from Ohaupo, which cost him £1 per ton haulage. Albert Edward Fear, farmer, Pirongia, and the chairman of the PirongiaTfe Awamutu Light Railway League, said that Pirongia was a big distributing centre. A good many of the settlers to the south had had to desert their farms owing to costliness of manures —about £4 a ton —which had to he carted from Te Awamutu. The same remarks applied to the settlers on tne west side of the river, who were almost completely cut off. To put the river in a navigable condition all the year round would be conferring a benefit on the whole district. At present manures landed at Pirongia cost 30s a ton to cart from the railway, while by a reliable river service the cost would not be more than 17s Gd per ton from Ngaruawahia. There were lime works at Karamu w’ ere the quality of the lime was of a very high tost, and this could only be got by river. The country all around was hungering for lime, which at present had to be got from Te Kuiti and sometimes from Sts far as Napier. There was a tremendous amount of timber in the district as well as other products.

William McCarthy, butcher, Pirongia, said a good river service would save the farmers of Pirongia the amount of the freight between Te Awamutu and Pirongia.