THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 34, 1916 WAIKATO RIVER TRADE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 132, 14 January 1916, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times

PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 34, 1916 WAIKATO RIVER TRADE.

"We nothing extenuate, nor gel down auaht in malice."

The Official Orqan of . The Franklin County Council. The Pukekoho Borough Council. The Tuakau Town Board. The Karaka Eoad Board. The Pokeno Road Board. The Wairoa Eoad Board. The Papakura Town Board. The Waikato Biver Board. The Mercer Town Board.

The petition to the Waikato River Board, now in course of signature by launch proprietors, flaxmill and sawmill owners, etc., as set forth tl32where in this issue, calls attention to a serious menace that besets not only (ha shipping trade but the industries on the Waikato liver. Water freightage, by costing much less than railway charges, has been responsible, particularly of late, thanks to commendable enterprise on the part of owners of boat* plying on 1112 rivr:r, for building up a trade all along the Waikato that has already assumed large proportions and promises to extensively increase. Then again tha cargo traffic on the river and ils tributries serves a very large area of ciuntry that has no railway facilities. Intent on their administration of the railway as part and parcel of the revenue producing undertakings and public requirements of the Dominion, the Government has given little, if any, consideration to the development ot waterways, which in many districts are quite Hi important to the settlers as the railway. Indeed, the waterways of New Zealand, and certainly the Waikato rive-, provide means of egress aud access to localities that are not likely to be tapped by a railway, except possibly in tte very remote future. It therefore becomes a matter, practically ot national importance, that for the benefit ol dwellers within near proximity to or anywtee eervej by navigation faciltjies that tte Waikato river should be preserved for use es a water highway. fcThe petition we allude to sets forth that cuneequent either on the lowering of the stream or on the accumulation of sand-banks the river channel is becoming impasiabl: lor tratfi\ and that not only will the ordinary cargo transit trallic be thereby impeded, but the many sawmills and llaxmills in opcation on the river will, if their products cannot be shipped, be compelled to ciosa down, thus bringing disaster to both owners atd employes. The Waikato River lioard has tor a long time been manfully striving, almost against insurmountable odds, to keep the river open for traliic as well as to bring about the drainage i>l adjacent swamp?, but very little Government assistance has been lor the mi ing to help on the work. Now, huwever, the position is fast .becoming acute and representations are to b l ' made to all the local authorities in the Waikato "with a view of joint action being liken to impress on the Government the necessity el public funds Ltirr, allocated so that operations oi (he river may be drastically forwarded anl the menace that in now

threaten.' 1 counteracted. The longer [the work is delayed the greater the trouble will become, and it is to be hoped that ollicial recognition of impending disaster to a large section ol th 3 community of tbe Waikato district will b>speedily fortbcomirg and that as a reault tin Hive: Board will be enabled to put in hand remedial measures,