RIVER NAVIGATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15361, 9 October 1923, Page 2

RIVER NAVIGATION.

WAIKATO’S GREAT POSSIBILITIES. DIRECT SERVICE FROM SOUTH. FAST-GROWING TRADE. In a report on the work done by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce during the past month, Mr A. M. Bisley, at a meeting of the Chamber last night, made special reference to the possibilities for river trade as follows: “During the -month,” he said, “negotiations have been completed by the Holme Shipping Coy. to open direct service to Hamilton from Lyttelton, Wellington and Nelson via Port Waikato. Goods will be transhipped at the heads and brought up the river by the Roose Shipping Coy. Until the Roose Shipping Coy. increase their plant a regular service with the south will be impossible. .1 understand, however, that a new steamer and a number of barges are under construction and upon their completion a regular service with the south will be inaugurated. The arrival of the first steamer from the south with general cargo marks the further advancement of the district and the river service. With the object of fittingly celebrating the occasion it is anticipated that a passenger steamer will run from Hamilton to the heads, and meet the southern steamer on arrival. It is to be hoped that all interested will -make this trip and so learn something of the possibilities of river transportation, which is now being seriously developed. It is verypleasing Uo me to be able to report that the rAver service has now so developed that- the. present plant is •totally inadequate to handle the growing business. I regard the development of the Roose Shipping Company’s business as of more than provincial importance. The apathy with which the opportunities this district possesses through its river were commented on to me by Capt. Holmes last week. Wanganui has spent £250,000 on its river, and' is about to spend another £200,000, £450,000 in all. Practically all this money ha.-s or will be spent between the bar and the first traffic bridge, a distance of four miles. The -proposal to raise trie first Wanganui loan met with very: strong opposition. Ihe money has been spent and Wanganui is now experiencing the advantages of a fair shipping port. . The advantages which the town and district have received are -such that Capt. Holmes informs me that there will he practically no opposition to the loans now proposed. Although we are 85 miles from the sea via the river, we have as great an opportunity as Wanganui in that we have at the heads the finest harbour on the West Coast -capable of accommodating large steamers now frequenting.' the Neiv. Zealand coast, and by the expenditure of moderate -sums of money on 'dredging the river,steamer’s carrying up to 500 tons drawing 10 feet of water could work the river as far as Cambridge. Our geographical ■ position and natural advantages'iead Capt. Holmes to express the opinion that with a little expenditure on our river this district had great opportunities as a manufacturing centre: (1) As we -have, coal within eight miles -of Hamilton which can be delivered here to factories at low cost: (2) We have ample * electric- power from the hydro electric works at Hora I-lora. (3) We have a town with suitable land all round to accommci-. date a very large population. (4) Ample factory -sites are obtainable on the banks of the Waikato River at comparatively low cost, between Hamilton and Ngaruawahia, so that a manufacturing . concern so situated (provided portion of the river is dredged) could despatch its goods via the river throughout New Zealand, or throughout the district -by rail, this being the junction of the north, south and east lines. The opinion expressed by Capt. Holmes has so impressed me with the river possibilities that I think that at our next meeting the matter should be fully discussed and that this chamber should lake a definite lead in the river development work. The first. steamer south for Hamilton will leave Lyttelton on the 18th October and arrive , at the Heads about the 25th. Mr Bisley added that with dredging* the difficult places from Huntly to Meroer could’ be made, navigable for vessels of 10ft- draught, and even if the improvements cost £250.000 it would well repay them to undertake such a scheme.