HARNESSING THE MAKURI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 954, 22 October 1910, Page 10

HARNESSING THE MAKURI.

Sh'jT-I notice*, some people not residents are anxious-to harness tlio Ma- ; 'kuri Rivor. To ray mind, harnessing' a small mountain stream liko tliis; Makuri is ridiculous.:jV:Makuri G6rgO''and river aro a great j' asset to ftev Zealand. One of those favoured beautaus Spots so hard to find;" . "Silent, majestic,"solemn, grand, .' The ohoioest'spot bri'God's own land,' By Nature's Architect designed, • Given us in trust .for all mankind. . Shall we such, beauties dare'to rob,' And spoil this masterpiece of God ?" Almost too late,) the Government acquired portions of the remaining hush, which is now a Bcenio reserve. - Why should','-a. few commercial men wish, to destroy natural beauty, which they could not create? Mr W. P. Reeves, in "The Passing of the Forest," says : "Bitter the'thought, is this the price we pay; Tho price ■of • progress—beauty swept away." . . '. . ■ " I have not: read-where in America they harness -little mountain streams; but'the mighty Niagara has been grasped by the hand of ; man, and one' cornpally has under charter tho right'to take sufficient water to produce 200,000 horse-power. Surely, the New 'Zealand Government will not tinker with Makuri, when tho Manawatu Gorge -is so near, and would well repay the cost in harnessing. Makuri River, in addition to its beauty, is one of , the'most noted fishing streams. in the world,. This .'is-a big statement; but men who have fished in England, Scotland, Ireland,. Norway, and most- of the streams in New Zealand, make tho the opening day this season over ' twenty rods wero at work, and tho!limit of fish taken by many of. the fisherman. Probably in, the year A.D.'3OGO some of our unborn millions will require the power to develop electricity to run tho muclitalkod, of Pahiatua-Makuri. railway.— I am, otc,, . . ■■■■<-' MAKURI-SETTLER.