THE WATER ROUTE.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17805, 2 September 1929, Page 6

THE WATER ROUTE.

In connection with the Waiuku canal project there has been some correspondence in this paper regarding the financial success of canals in the Old World since the advent of | motor transport. It has been pointed lout that the conditions in Britain are i hardly comparable, since the canals I there do not open into great natural ! waterways. The Waiuku canal would j be simply a short connecting link be- ) tween the Waikato River and the \ Manukau Harbour. The cutting cf a i short channel of six miles, with one I lock, would open up hundreds of miles |of inland waterfront. Transport by ; the English canals is generally very ; slow and inconvenient, several days ] being required for a water journey : that couid be covered in a few hours : by road. Nevertheless for many classes of goods Uie canal barge is still the cheapest carrier. The Man- . Chester Ship Canal again is in another ; category—a comparatively short length I of waterway, but carrying a considerable amount of shipping, it is interesting to note that the revenue from that canal for the first half of this year showed a considerable improvement over that of the corresponding period of last year. The January-June figures for the past four years have been:—l926, £691,974; 1927, £759,059; 1928, £729,025; 1929, £745,169. These fluctuations during the years when motor transport has been making the most rapid strides arc by no means discouraging to canal operators. The results, it will be noted, have not much ’relation to the possibilities of a canal that would open a waterway between the Waikato and Onehunga port, the trade of this country being comparatively small and the cost of consi-vuct-ing the proposed canal also very low. But it is of some importance to note that, despite the Improved road transport, the English canal mentioned is holding Us own and making some progress.