NAVIGABLE RIVERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 152, 22 March 1919, Page 2

NAVIGABLE RIVERS

THEIR IMPROVEMENT MT DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF MARINE The Minister of Marine (the Hon. T. M. Wllford) was on Thursday waited upon by a 'deputation from the Auckland Province with reference to the improvement of the Waikato Ifiver for naviga> lion-purposes. ' Messrs. Jv. 'J'. Frost,,director, and A, L. .Stevenson, general manager of the Waiknto Skipping- Company, ; Ltd., thanked the Minister for .his assistance in arranging lor the removal by blasting"of 'dangerous rocks in the main channel of the Waikato Uiver," 1 near Hamilton, which work was now being carried out by tho Public Works Department, and they asked, further, that the Government's engineers.be sent to investigate and report upon the best, method of securing a permanent navigable channel throughout the shallow portion of the Waikato lliver at the earliest, possible date, as (lie,river was at the present time at a. low level, and satisfactory investigation could only be made-at, such a time, The Minister, in undertaking to push this work on as soon as possible, whichlie recognised as of the greatest importance to the whole of the Waikato district and of importance to the Dominion, pointed ; out that owing, to the fact that- the Marine Department was without the services of an expert- 1 waterways .engineer lie. was.only able to have tlio necessary ; work done'by borrowing a thoroughly 'efficient, ofijeer from the Public Works Department, and this, of course, would be only • when that Department was not requiring'his services. After, discussing several matters of imllortance, to, "the navigation of. the Waikato, as well as other New. Zealand rivers, the deputation thanked Mr. Wilford for his courteous'attention, the efforts lie had so far made, and 1 , for his .undertaking to, help them, in the matters brought-'before his notice.; It was pbinted out.that"iy. view of the largo number .of important waterways in New Zealand w'hicli .urgently required the attention of. expert engineers,, it appeared highly essential that hh efficient and thoroughly experienced officer, in this class of work should bo engaged by the Marine' Department, specially to report upon -and .adv.isei.-tha.'-Minister ill such matters.

The deputation yostenjay wailed upon the' Minister n: Itailways, (lie Hon. Mr. llerries, An his return to "Wellington, on other matters of importance.