The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1920. THE WAIKATO RIVER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 542, 22 June 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1920. THE WAIKATO RIVER.

From time to time for several years past we have urged upon the Government the desirability of putting the Waikato River under tht control of some capable body which would aid, not hinder, it carrying' out its functions as an outlet for drainage, and. a highway for commerce. The war may be taken as a satisfactory excuse for nothing having been done up to the present to improve this great natural asset, Wut now That that reason is removed we trust no further delay will take place in putting it into the hands of a responsible hoard, and that before very long we shall see some of the very obvious things done which would improve both drainage and navigation. Not even the most optimistic person can now have any belief left that it is possible to drain the lying lands in the vicinity of Mercer by gravitation. Ultimately they will be unwatered no doubt by purely mechanical means, which present no engineering difficulties, but are simply a question of expenditure. Hut a little to the south lie large areas of swamp which can easily be drained, at a very much smaller expense than the costly and futile attempt that has been made to lower the surface of the river.

No human effort will ever prevent the occasional flooding of the Waikato, but much may easily be -lone to minimise the discomforts r.rising therefrom. The floods can be prevented rising quite so high, and the period for which they remain up greatly reduced by a few quite elementary improvements. The mere removal of a few impediments in the riverbed, some natural bat others artificial, would undoubtedly exert a most beneficial influence in this direction.

Navigation is almost "as Important as land-drainage and flood-diminish-ing. Except the blasting away of a ledge of rock between Hamilton and Cambridge, nothing has been done to eid it. The River Board's scheme did not take into consideration the question of navigation at all, and its effect, so far as it was carried out, was simply injurious. Yet it is evident that much of the river, notably the difficult reach between Mercer and Rangiriri, is susceptible of considerable improvement at a model ate cost. The reach between Kaitangata and the Heads presents a more difficult, but by no means insoluble, problem. We do not need to dilate upon the enormous benefit ini proved navigation would be to the numerous producers to whom th« river and its tributaries are the on'y

highway. Our hope is that during the comhv. session the Government will t;-ke th's question fairly in hand by appointing a board consisting of men capable not only of overcoming the natural difficulties the river presents, out also of holding the balance fairly between the claims of navigation and land-drainage if at any time those should chance to conflict. Only a body with a settled tenure of office, with time to experiment carefully, r.nd knowledge enabling it to build up a settled policy upon the results of these experiments, will succeed in making the Waikato and its tributaries of the greatest possible vahus to the enmmunitv.