THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 2, Issue 138, 21 October 1913, Page 1

THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Meeting of Board. Premier To Be Tackled Again< A meeting of the Waikato River Board was held at Mercer on Friday, 10th inst., when the following members were present : —Messrs Glass (chairman), Hill, Gallery, Dean, Clephane and the clerk (Mr Hallett). The principal business was to consider the Prime Minister's letter, in reply to tho Board's request for an outside engineer to be sent to check the levels and accuracy of the Government Engineer's survey of the river.

The following letters from the Department of Lands and Survey are interesting showing practically what has been promised oyer the question:— Letter from Under-Secretary (September 25th, 1012) " I have the honour by direction of the Minister for Lands to acknowledge the receipt, of your letters of the 30 th August and oth inst., in regard to the proposed urainage works on the Waikato River and the area likely tc be affected thereby. In reply I have to inform you that the Government has now decided to set up a commission to enquire into, and report upon the whole proposal before coming to a final decision in the matter. With a view to obtaining all necessary engineering data for the use of the Commission Messis F. W. Furkert, inspecting engineer of the Public Works Department, and J. B. Thomson, l«nd drainage engineer, have been instructed to make a preliminary inspection of the river to enable them to decide upon the extent and details of the necessary engineering surveys. This work will be undertaken by Mr Allan Morpeth, drainage engineer assistant, and Mr Wm. C. Breakall, C.E., acting under the supervision of the land drainage engineer. It is hoped that Messrs Furkert and Thomson will be in a position to commence their inspection of the river in about a fortnight from now."

A further letter on 30th September stated : " We do not intend to make any recommendations in regard to the erection of groynes or other works of a similar nature, but merely to decide what data will have to be furnished for the information of the commission of engineers, which it is proposed to set up at a later date and before any large scheme of works is undertaken. Until a decision has been come to by the Commission I think it would be inadvisable to authorise the construction of any further works on the Waikato River, the ultimate consequence of which may be uncertain." Another later dated 27th March stated : " The object of the present commission of engineers is to furnish data to enable a comprehensive scheme of river improvements, etc., to be considered/ Any local bill will be of no value until the report conies to hand as legislation will depend entirely on the result of the work that is being done and there is no chance of the work being completed before the commencement of next session. The bill of last session is valueless and will have to be redrafted in accordance with the report of the engineers."

It is understood that the hill of last session was rejected because there was not sufficient information available to go upon and because it meant the possibility of wasting a very large sum of public money. At a meeting of the Eiver Board held on September 15th the engineer's (Mr Thompson's) unfavour able report (published in the "Times"of September 10th) was submitted, and the Board decided to request the Prime Minister to appoint a Commission as promised in one of the afore-mentioned letters, composed of the best engineers that

can be obtained outside the Government service. Mr Massev's reply to this request was as follows : " I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 16th inst. relating to the above surveys. I see no necessity for the sending of an outside engineer to check tho levels of out new hydrographic survey, as every precaution has been taken to ensure accuracy tbeiein. Should your Board, however, take up the position of questioning the accuracy of the survey, then the onus and cost of proving it wrong rests entirely with your Board. Having perased the copy of Mr C. D. Kennedy's report sent me, I arrive at conclusion that that gentleman concurs in the land drainage engineer's summation of the position laid down in his last report to mo, and a copy of which you were furnished with. The question of lowering the water level at IvaitaDgata has never been questioned, but I do not approve of your suggestion that the work of constructing training walls should be undertaken by the Government. The completion of the engineering survey in so for as Maratnarua and Whangamarino swamps are concerned will be proceeded with, but at the present juncture the results of the rivor survey do not warrant the setting up of a Royal Commission. You will remember that such Commission was provisionally promised on the assumption that the original levels were correct and the position generally as represented and understood by your Board at that time. So that there should be no paucity of data available for your Board's engineers as regards the river reaches above Mercer, the survey has been continued as far as Rangiriri. This will allow of the connection with major swamps and lake lands.—W. F. MASSEY." Mr Glass said that Mr Massey had evidently turned them down and that a distinct breach had been committed. An engineering commission had been promised and this promise had not been kept. He considered that as Mr Thompson had been sent before, he should not have been sent again to conduct this work, but that an outside engineer should have been sent. The person who really was sent (Mr Furkert) had been sent away on a six months' holiday as soon as the work was started. He considered that the summary of the two reports was an absolute contradiction. Mr Kennedy said he could lower the river four feet at Kaitangata and two feet at Mercer, and later had said four feet at Mercer; but Mr Thompson says it can only bo lowered two feet at Mercer at very great expense. Mr Hill , said that both reports agreed and were evidently correct as far as lvaitangata, but he could not see, if three feet six inches could be got at Kaitangata, why so little lowering was available for Mercer. The argument could not sustain itself with those who knew the river.

Mr Glass : Mr Massey admits that Mr Kennedy is right when he says the lowering of the river at Kaitangata has never been questioned, and if the river can be lowered at Kaitangata it can be lowered at Mercer; besides a commission had been promised and he can't break his promise.

Mr Dean thought that perhaps both engineers might be right and he would not like to question either of their levels : the Board members, as laymen, might not understand the position. He would move, That the Board send fdr Mr Kennedy and request him to again go oyer the work so as to explain these discrepancies. and that the Auckland Har" hour Board be asked to allow their engineer (Mr Hamer) to go with Mr Kennedy; thesa two engineers to consult and report as to the advisability of carrying out the groynes as recommended, and to find out if the figures are right, and submit the whole matter to a public meeting."

Mr Glass said that as Mr Hamer had all the data he would be well up in the question, and if Air Kennedy were proved to be right it would give the Board a good stand, and they could then call the ratepayers together and go for a loan of £SOOO and ask Mr Massey for a subsidy. However, he said he had been asked bv Mr Gunson to act as one of .the delegates to attend Wellington as recommended by the Waterways Conference held in Auckland recently, and lie would then take all the reports, pians, etc., and again place the matter before Mr Massey and see if the question could be settled without taking the action proposed. It was then proposed by Mr Glass, and seconded by Mr Dean, " That Mr Kennedy be asked to check the levels between the bench marks where a discrepancy occurs, later on to confer with Mr Hamer, these gentlemen to report to a public meeting of ratepayers and explain the different levels and tidal readings.

It was resolved that both the resolutions be held in abeyance until the result of tho chairman's visit to Wellington is ascertained. The clerk was instructed to wiite to Mr Morpeth and ask him to have all data, levels and eoundings ready for Mr Kennedy in case they were needed.