Navigating the Hokio.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 January 1912, Page 2

Navigating the Hokio.

IMPROVED ACCESS TO THE REACH. INTERESTING INTKIWIFAV. It will be remembered at tho opening of tho Coronation baths, the Mayor (Mr 1?. HI. Gardener) made an interesting reference m regard to If ho Horowhoiuwi Lake. In the course of bis remarks .lie stated that in his opinion what would populnriso tho Jake more than anything else would be to make the. Hokio stream navigable, so as to enable people lo got direct to the bwu'li by water in preference to tho road. Regarding this suggestion, a. Chronicle" reporter yesterday saw the Mayor, and asked him_ whether he had made the suggestion perfectly seriously. Mr Gardener replied that he was very serious over the matter, and thought that his proposal was quito feasible, and would result in a great deal of good if it wore carried out. He stated that in the old days—twenty-five- to thirty years lago—the, Hokio stream was navigated by iho natives in the form of taking canoe* up and down the. .stream. If that could be done then, there was no reason w'hy a .similar system fhoulii not lie carried out now. The Mayor went on to say that in the old days tho stream was in a groat don I belter condition than what it is to-day. Tho natives thoMSelvos, under the direction of their chiefs, need to clear the wafer away, with the result that all weeds and overgrowth, were, swept away. Considering now, after so many years, nothing had been done in this direction it could be easily seen what, a large amount of growth had floonmulatod. not only on the water, but upon the banks of the river. He prophesied that it would surprise people if only a reasonable amount of brush and growth were taken ,out of the stream, and ahn on tlio hanlca of tho river, as to ils largo , extent. Of course, there would bo difficulty probably with the natives for carrying out this .scheme, in which he was so much in favour. Rut ho thought by meeting nnd coming to some wconwiT that it would not only be hpnofir'al to tho European population, I>pt al=o benencial"jrio the natives. Many efforts bid bKon made to popnlarbn and make people take an interest in the wnion of the lake, but iin in nrnv ofFovls bad friiWl. People, espofiallv local people, ?er>m"d sunvhow or oilier to tire with the miner their present c.-i'idi! iim-. .and bv hfivill" - crnii'" 1 liioiu] , inUUrbiv; which could li'Mvcl ri'/li' on' In (be ben ,, !) be (.'?:o 1 ?•'•'Ii'■ a iV'v a<traction would bo pddr.-l ji n>o (own. illd tbaf !" v,wv <.'lon vruhl bare b,->,->n {.okr-n tnwnrd< induf'iiT iinnpl,-. (o iinko Hen ( ,f -|l n ';pl^ivi;d ' :, 'of'! of WTiOl , .

I TROUT FTSTTTNG. Another aspect of the matter was the question of trout lushing, ilo had been told by experts t'iiiib it was impossible under present conditions for a iishorinan, even if the lake u'ere thrown open for to get trout with, a line, an id. tlio oxpliiiiation {riven was that there was too much vegetation in the lake to make the fi.-'h bite. The. result, was that until this mailer Wisls remedied very little jndiiee-menfc could be given to legitimate llshermen to Lake out .licenses for fishing rights. By clearing out the J 1-okio sLream and making the water run in its original manner, a great deal of the vegetation would bo drawn away, and the probability would ho that the lake then c.nuhl he made a, rrood one for ii.-hing purposes. It was well-known that a large number of trout did live in the river—not only the ordinary rainbow kind, but a large proportion of wilrnon trout, which flowed in from the sea. It was .a. pity with such n .splendid, sheet of water that so little patronage was bestowed upon it. ~ The question of the cost of now making a proper road from the beach to the Italce was now under the consideration of the County Council. state of the present re.;id was far from satisfactory, and more so when it was the natives' intention to close up the paddock whiclli vehicles were nmv Tt was generally recognised thai, a deviation of the road was necessary, anil they would, have to interview the natives and consider the cost. In his opinion motor launches down the Tfokio would he a far cheaper process, an<l would he greatly lapprocinjod hy Illie public. Tt wa-s his intention ot a later stage to convene n. pjiblir. meeting to discuss {lie subject so to aseert:iin public opinion on the mnlfer. Prohahly the on I come of his suggestions; would be the formation of a stronic committee to investigate his proposals and se« they were—fls he fully believed I hey were-- feasible. At all events they \\'ere worth consideration and d!>scuwion bv all tho-e who had lli'c M'dfare of Levin and district at heari.