IMPROVING THE WAIKATO.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 569, 24 September 1920, Page 2

IMPROVING THE WAIKATO.

The large and representative gathering at Mercer on Saturday, a report of whose proceedings will be found in another column of this issue, shows the amount of interest taken in the proposal to improve the Waikato River for land drainage and navigation, and give's us the satisfaction of knowing that our persistence in keeping this object before the

public has not been wasted effort. .We think the meeting took a com-mon-sense view of the situation when it decided not to ask the Government for a special commission to deal with the Waikato, but to urge that the Inlancl Waterways' Commission should give it priority, in order., that the necessary work might be set in hand without waiting for the complete report dealing with the proposeiWour canals* The advocates of the canals, particularly of the one to connect the Waikato with the Manukau, wiil gain rather than lose if this request is given effect to, since it is obvious that the successful establishment of a good navigable channel down the river would give an immense fillip to the canal project. On the other hand, if it should be found economically impossible to so improve the Waikato, it is plain that no such canal would ever be undertaken. . It would therefore appear that until the improvement of the river has been demonstrated to J be a possibility enquiry into the: feasibility of this particular canal is, to say the least, premature. One or two of the speakers on Saturday appeared to fpfir that giving priority to the river would alienate the sympathy of canal advocates, but we feel sure they are mistaken, and that reasonable views will generally prevail. The deputation that has been appointed to place the desires of the meeting before the Ministers concerned is a strong one, consisting of a representative of the landowners in Mr. Wily, a representative of the commercial interests in Mr. Stephenson, and a member of the Auckland jjjrrbour Board in Mr. Wynyard, and fpe result of "their errand will show

whether the frequently-expressed interest of Ministers in the Waikato is true or feigned.