WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 163, 30 September 1927, Page 2

WANGANUI RIVER SERVICE

UPPER REACHES PROBLEM Some time ago a special committee of the Wanganui River Trust was set up to investigate the question of keeping open for boat traffic the upper portion of the river below Taumarunui. Owing to the fact that several members of the committee are also members of Parliament, and have been too busy to meet and discuss river questions, the work of the committee has never been started. At its last meeting the trust decided, in view of the urgency of the question, that if the special committee is unable to present a report for the next monthly meeting, the trust as a whole shall investigate the position. The trust chairman. Mr. J. H. Burnett, asked the Public Works engineer, Mr. P. Keller, if he considered the trust would be justified in expending £I,OOO on the top end of the river this summer, particularly as the finances were not too strong. Mr. Keller replied that the road between Taumarunui and Te Maire had been passable for motor traffic through the winter, and the indications were that it would be improved. The chairman said the trust had £2,000 to work on this year, and the supervisor, Mr. T. W. Downes, stated that on the stretch in question temporary work on tlie Tinokotikoti Rapid bad cost £ 450. Temporary work on the three other rapids would cost another £750. In reply to questions the supervisor stated further that it would take all the trust’s labour and finance to permanently solve the troubles on any one of the four rapids at the top end. The Taumarunui representatives on the trust contended that their town wanted some direct collection with the river service, and until the road could be provided t was up to the trust to keep the river open.