THE WANGANUI RIVER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1898, 5 November 1913, Page 18

THE WANGANUI RIVER.

A GREAT HIGHWAY. WHAT IS BEING DONE TO DEVELOP IT. The Wanganui River is regarded by most New Zealanders purely as a tourist route. Tho difficulties of making satisfactory roads in tho country along a' great part of' its banks promise, however, to make it an important national highway in years to come. Already large quantities of wool aro shipped down by tho river steamers, and many settlers obtain their stores from AVanganui by water transit. Some day the river will possibly bo locked, but this is a work that is estimated at about half a million of money, and even preliminary engineering reports have not yet been obtained on it. Tho river is at present under tho control of the Wanganui River Trust, which body since its creation iu 1891 lias expended some £24,000 in improving the waterway. Tho late Mr. Ballanco was responsible for the establishment of tho Trust, and a glance at the Act constituting it "shows that the main object was to make provisions for revenue purposes for the clearing of the river as a highway, for developing the country adjacent, and for preserving the scenery. The personnel of the Trust is:—A Government nominee, the members of Parliament for Fatea and Wanganui, tho Mayor of Wanganui, tho president of tho Chamber of Commerce, tho chairman of tho Waitotara and*.'Wanganui County -Councils, and three members elected by tho ratepayers of Wanganui. Since the inception of tho Trust in 1891 it has been presided over by but two chairmen In its earlier history by the late Mr. John T. Stewart, who did yeoman, service,' and during the past 15 years by Mr. T. D. Cummins. Both of these gentlemen have given much time to tho work of oppning and clearing tho river for traffic.

In the early history.it seemed'almost impossible to improve the river channel so as to' make it suitable for steamer traffic. The earliest venture in that direction was the flotation of a company called tho Wanganui River Steamer Company. This company built a sternwheel steamer called the Tukua, which, aftor several ventures up-stream among tho snags then in tho river, eventually was wrecked at Koriniti, whore mains are now to be seen ill a vagrant channol.

Lator, Messrs. Hatrick and Co:, rcognising the possibilities of tlin river, procured a paddlo steamer fro.n Yarrows, of the Thames (England) and exploited successfully tho development of steamer traffic. Tho Wairire, the first steamer of Hatrick's fleet is still to tho fore; and thjs pioneer has been followed in successful by various typos, from stern wheelore to the moro modern fiat-bot-tomed trunnelled boats with raised propellers—and moro recently boats of a superior type and build. To-day tho old typo of steamer is superseded by the oil--driveu launch, capable of developing a speed of 14 miles an hour in still wafer, and oljmbing most of the rapids without the aid of steam winches and 1 wire ropes, .which aro almost tilings of tho past. The River Trust has been the important factor, however, by clearing and improving the channel. / Thousands of snags navo been removed from tho fairway, 1 mid miles of stono .vails constructed to improve tlio rapids and mako them navigable. Thoso who knew the river in its early stages would not today recogniso many of tho places that woro considered impassable, and.it reflects credit 011 both the enterpriso of tliei steamer proprietors and tho. Trust that to-day tlioro is a navigable channel from Wanganui to Taumarunui, where tho Main Trunk lino junctions—a' distance of 144' miles, by a tri-weekly servico to Pipiriki and a tri-weekly service Trom Pipiriki to Taumarunui.

It is only _ those who liave travelled oyer this 6teamcr rout© who can appreciate t'he wonderfully altered conditions of tba vivot and tho service provided by tho steamer proprietors. Many objections liave been made to tho so-called monopoly of tho steamer service, but it is necessary to remember that Messrs. Hatrick and Co. liave, without doubt, by tlieir enterprise, done much for the development of the river service, and the river is. open to all who wish to compete.

. By tho foresight of those who framed the eii'aotment of the "Wanganui River Trust, tho beautiful scenery of the river will bo for all time' conserved, as on eacli side of t'he river all Crown Lands are reserved for a depth of a mile back.

As showing the importance of the river as a highway for development cf the country near its watershed, it is anticipated tliat not less than 2000 bales of wool will bo water-borne to "Wanganui tliis wool season, and this will bo materially increased year by year, as t'he country develops and comes into profit.

Tho .ltaihvay Department already lias its own steamers oil Lake AVakatipu, and. it is frequently urged that tlio "Wanganui River service is quite as much an adjunct to the railways as the lake service. The development of the waterway is a worlt tliat will hecomo increasingly important as time goes on, and tho back country becomes more closely settled.. Tho river can be made to compensate for difficulties of,road construction over a "big stretch of country, and it should be borne in mind that in winter when tbo unmetalled roads are at their worst, the river is at its best for traffis.