WAIUKU-MANUKAU CANAL

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 131, 15 February 1909, Page 5

WAIUKU-MANUKAU CANAL

Visit of Inspection. ii | On Wc<!r.«'?clay r -t i»?t wrek a large ; party consisting °f members of the ' Auckland, Hamilton and Onehunga Chambers of Commerce, the Mayors of I Hamilton and Onehunga, Mr F. W. Lang M.P., the Chairman and representatives of the Ragaln, Waikato and Waipa County Councils, the Chairman of the Te Awamutu 1 Road Board, and i representatives from the Newcastle, Papatmtoi, and Papnkura Road Boards, | and the Frankton Town Board; toll gether with the Provincial President sof the New Zealand Farmers' Union, , I and Mr Hamer. Engineer to the Auckland Harbour Board, and others started from Mercer by launch to inspect the j | projected Waiuku-Manukau Canal. The trip down the Waikato River was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and the beautiful scenery seen en route brought forth many exclamations of admiration. One heard the beautiful i views on the Waikato compared most ' favourably with the scenery met with ! on the Wanganui River. When leaving ■ the Waikato and entering the Awaroa Creek, which is some six miles from j the Waikato Heads, one finds that this creek (which it is proposed shall be j the channel for the future canal), is of 1 a very winding nature, though of good , depth, and is tidal. The party having j gone some short distance up the creek, ; landed, and were tlieh driven to Wai- > uku. From the road traversed one ! could see the line which would be taken ! by the proposed canal, and it was (minted out that from the head of the tidal water on the Awaroa Creek to the head of the tidal water on the Manukau side, there only remained a distance of about 1} miles, through which the canal would have to be cut, and the highest part between the two jj points is said to be about GO feet. , It is stated that so far as is known, there are no serious engineering diffi- . cultics to be met with. It was stated by Mr Hamer, (Engineer to the Auck- < jand Harbour Board), that it was a ; question wheher the course of the I Awaroa Creek should be followed for , the canal, or whether a straight course < should be rut. He stated that the canal w*ould have to be a 'lock canal,' which would always give water at a high level, and he urged that the sum of £IOO, which had been placed in the Estimates, for the purpose of obtaining further information, should be at once expended in obtaining data as to the , rise and fall of the tides in the Manukau and Waikato, as this had not yet been done. In the evening a largely attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, i and speeches were made by many of those present, each speaker setting forth the ercat benefits likely to be derived from the canal, in the saving of freight and other advantage*. At the close of the meeting it was resolved unanimously that a vote of thanks be accorded to Mr J. W. Ellis (President) and to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. for their action in organising j the gathering that day.