WAIKATO RIVER WORKS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 291, 10 July 1917, Page 2

WAIKATO RIVER WORKS.

Mr Wily, representing the land owners of Aka Aka and Otaua districts, and Mr Hull, chairman of the Aka Aka Drainage Board, waited on the Prime Minister at Pukekohe .yesterday in reference to the alleged injury being done to the drainage of those districts by the groynes put in by the Waikato River Board, and the effect upon navigation. Mr R Burns, President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, who was to have keen a member of the deputation, sent a telegram regretting his inability to be present and supporting on behalf of his Chamber the views of the deputation. Mr Wily referred to the error which had been made in taking the levels, and to the impossibility of the swamps being drained by erosion of the river-bed from the action of the groynes lowering the surface sufficiently, The groynes placed across the northern channel of the Waikato were, he said, causing serious silting and were already interfering with the drainage of the Aka-aka lands, and navigation had been greatly hiudered. Unless something was done very shortly the position would become very serious. Ho referred the Prime Minister to the two reports of Mr B. B. Thompson, the Government Drainage Engin«er, the two reports of Mr Ashley Ilunter, C.E., and the reports of Mr C. C. Otway and Mr H. M. Skeet, Crown Lands Commissioner, all of which showed th<*j the drainage of the swamps south of Mercer could not be effected by the River Board's works. He concluded by asking that the Waterways Commission should be directed to sit and submit an interim report upon tin Waikato River Hoard scheme as follows : 1. If it will succeed in draining the swamps south of Mercer. 2, What the effest upon navigation will be. 3. If it will injure the reclaimed lands at Otaue and Aka-aka. Mr Wily added that the three great interests bound up in the Waikato could not be properly conserved by a Land Drainage body, which was wha* the River Board really was, but required control by tho Government.

Mr Hull also spoko to the same effect.

In reply to the deputation, Mr Massey said he was fully conversant with the whole business and was inclined to think there was much in what the deputation had said. He was afraid the River Board were not doing very much good for the river. Ho would carefully consider the whole position and see what could be done.