LOWERING THE WAIKATO.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 227, 4 September 1914, Page 2

LOWERING THE WAIKATO.

And Draining Adjacent Swam ps.

Waikato River Board Work.

A Mcrcvr correspondent writ.silt has l.e-.n d.cid d that when the war c.isis ha* 8 t led down an enquiry it to lie held, first "u-officially," to advise the Wa:kuto Itivtr Bojid o i what ac iin they sh.iild tak i ie t:u < juiia inj? statemeiiiH made hi thd Hoard's ilililinei t. lhePnme Minister, through •ho mim'icr for t'c di?t ict. fir t idler <1 o c* i• i- i I ra pctiiin if sect r! Iv tie I!) rd f r a Parliamentary enq li y, which wai afterwa d; refused to ti: Baa-d Liter, Mr 801 l rcJ til j.ra;hed ta>ig tint the Mi isl3r wool i crant a Parliamentary inquiry !<.to e the I.a ds Commi te. ();hcr artarg 'm -i ts have hem rnai uin the meantime, »hat three members of Pa:line it will C nu to Miner and after poing into the whol 1 nu_-t-tion ad-is;: the Hoard , -is to <vhat action will Ik- best. Mr Kennedy, C.E., the Hoards 1 consulting engineer, eaxe to Mercer ! List Tue-day, cringing with him the i eiV overseer engage Iby tim on behalf of the River Ho ml lo take charge cf all works. The overseer ji3 Mr Sellara, late foteman ti the I Napier Harbour Board, and he is co:sidered the m :at capabla man ! for river works obtainable. Mesara Kennedy, Glass and Sellara ' took the Board's) sUam launch "Mascotte" down to tie head? en ! Tue3day and back to Mercer in the i evening. On Wednesday Mr Kenn.dy and Mr Kellars went over the plant and mafe all arrangements for starting the work again. Mr Kennedy was more than pleased at the work | already do :e by the first gro'.ne, which he very carefully inspected. I Ha etate3 that there will be no j difficulty n loscrin? the liver and I that th: first work to be undertaken will be the troyrea down to the last i lan). Th 3 stone groyres are to be I left out until all the other work is i dine in order to <bserve the etfec". j before undertaking the work. The groynes r.ow to be put down | are ti b-: far Ight r in piling and ! wilbff-packing, reducing the cist !by fct least hj» If, as it has been 1 found to be u inecessary to have I them so mas ive as the first one. . Everything U to be done to push these wo.l:s on at or.ee. The ator.c | reqjired was i spected at the same ' time and was co-siJeied nnst suit- ! able.

On Wednisjay rr.orninj Mr Kennedy paid a visit of inspection to the Whangamirino swamp trom Mercer to Te Kauwhata to inspect the work done by Messrs Glass and others, in I was astonishtd at the fall obtained and the state of the d ams. It was Mr Kennedy wha gave the antlers instructio s how »o g> fcbaut this draining, and it is the first cha ce he had cf visiting the work. When one cornea to think of the e'ormoua expense bung incurred by the Givernment for the surveys af this class of work (which is being done by tie settlers at no expense, simply Istfi g the contracts without the expeme of levelling it; it is quite time another system was adopted. Messrs Coultar and Martin have

sold their farm adjoining the 10,000 acres of Crown lands at £lB icr acre; still the Government cannot see that they have an as _ et towards relieving the land hunger.