CHEQUE FORGERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 12

CHEQUE FORGERY

TOURIST TRAFFIC POPULAR WANGANUI RIVER The popularity of the down-trip over the Wanganui River has been well exemplified during the year just ended, and particularly during the month of December, there being a considerable increase in the number of passengers, and a decided increase in the numbers of those to whom the term “tourist” can be applied. Over 200 passengers made the trip during December this year, as against 156 for the same month of 1926; and a marked feature of the traffic has been the preference shown for the terminal start from Taumarunui. The majority of those travelling apparently prefer to journey to that town by the daylight trains and join the up-river service immediately, rather than go to National Park, and from there make a lengthy motor trip to where the houseboat is stationed at the Retaruke Landing. Very little difficulty has been experienced with, the navigation of the river this year, and this is believed to be due to the fact that a number of

“small” floods have removed the shingle and other debris deposited in the shallows by _he “big” floods of the two previous years. The past history' of the Wanganui appears to indicate that the big floods have had a detrimental effect on the boat service in the upper reaches. This is borne out by the experiences of 1904, 1914 and 1915, and 1925, when heavy floods caused trouble with the river for a couple of years afterwards. The Taumarunui manager of Messrs. Hatrick and Co., Ltd., the proprietors of the river-boat service expresses the opinion very definitely that the floods of 1925 were responsible for the great trouble caused in navigation last summer.