WATERWAYS COMMISSION.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 623, 12 April 1921, Page 4

WATERWAYS COMMISSION.

SITS AT MERCER. WAIKATO RIVER DEALT WITH. Yesterday at Mercer the Inland Waterways Commission commenced its inquiry into the question of improving the Waikato river for navigation and drainage. The members were Messrs William Ferguson (chairman), Jas. Begg, and Ashley Hunter. Prior 'to sitting the commission had spent several days inspecting the river and its tributaries in order to become conversant with its conditions. A welcome was extended .to the commission by Mr A. G. C. Glass < chairman of the Waikato River Board, who said the board had asked for the commission for many years past. He hoped that in its deliberations the commission would put all bygones on one side. In reply, the chairman said he hoped the words spoken by Mr Glass would be borne in mind by the witnesses, and that they also would let all bygones be past. The most important duty of the commission, so far as the present sitting was concerned, v, as to consider the improvement of the navigation of the Waikato River and its tributaries the effect on the river and adjacent swamp lands of Lie improvement works proposed or already executed by the River Board, and generally the navigation of the river. Control of River. Mr Glass, referring to the question of the control of the Waikato river, said that as the board was to a certain extent upon its trial he desired to state it had no objection to a new board of control. It had informed the Minister for Internal Affairs that if he would withdraw the Supreme Court action for the removal of the groynes placed in the river and would complete the groynes, thus allowing of a thorough test, the board would resign and let a new body take control of the river. Mr H. E. R. Wiiy ( on behalf of the local bodies and individual settlers, said he had been instructed to advocate the abolition of the River Board. The offer made by the board to the Minister was merely a conditional resignation. He considered the board’s scheme of works were based on erroneous data and had injured both navigation and land drainage. The board had long abandoned the production of its scheme, had formulated no other. and was, he said, practically out of business. He proposed in its place a board of control consisting of members elected by ratepayers and others nominated by the Government to govern the river from the mouth to Cambridge. Navigation* The conditions in regard to navigation on the river during the past 25 years were reviewed by Mr E. T. Frost, flaxmiller and launch proprietor, at Tuakau. who represented the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. He stated that before the groynes were put in at Kaitangata the navigation channel kept to the north bank. The groynes closed that channel, which had silted up. The river showed by its action on the Maori Canal that it strongly desired to resume its old course. The southern channel had not been improved by the groynes. He was of opinion that if the groynes were removed the river would gradually restore the northern channel. Trade on the river was rapidly g,rowing. and in fact had trebled in the past three years. A channel with a minimum depth of 3ft at the driest season would be of great assistance, to shipping. A steamer would soon be • running between Onehunga Port Waikato. and river boats were being fitted up for the trade between Port Waikato and Cambridge.

Evidence on similar lines was given by Mr G. S. Lapwood, Tuakau. who traded on the river from 1901 to 1915

Mr Bartholomew Geraghty, settler at Tuakau, gave it as his opinion that drainage in the Tuakau swamp was not a? efficient as it was 10 years ago. He attributed this to the erection of the groynes. Mr Patrick Henry, farmer, of Ohinewoi, member of the River Board and secretary of the Waikare Drainage Board, favoured the construction of a stone embankment at the mouth oi the river, from Potter’s Island to Miora Point, a distance of 600yds. This embankment, he said, would define a bed for the channel right through to the tidal waters and enable boats to navigate the river at all tides. (To be continued.)