THE MOKAU RIVER.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1916, Page 3

THE MOKAU RIVER.

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE URGED. DEPUTATION! TO MINISTER OK MARINE, A PROBABLE SOLUTION. For the past few months the Mokau liver has been closed for navigation to all 'but small launches, owing to the river having been blocked by accumulations of'timber and silt brought down by flood. Representations have been made to the Government by the local bodies interested, but, so far, without effect. On Saturday the Hon. R. McNab visited Waitara, and occasion was taken by all the local bodies interested to dcputationise him on the matter, and it is hoped some scheme will be outlined, whereby steps can be at once taken to re-open the river. The members of the deputation were Messrs S. Whitehead and J. B. Carr (Mokau Harbour Board); A. Body, W. F Kelly, 1). Tweedie, .T Old (Awakino Comity Council); E. Beckbessinger, Tucker, Brabant, Spurdle, Johns (Waitara Borough Council); .T. Hine, H. E. Vaughan, H. Spurdle (Waitara Harbour Board); J. Rennie, J. Marlowe, '.foinlinson (Waitara Chamber of Commerce); H Maine, J. Eraser (Mokau Businessmen and Settlers); C. H. 3urgess (New [Plymouth Borough Council); W. J. Penn (New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce); W. A. Collis (Tourist and Expansion League). Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P. for Taumaruuui, was present, and introduced Die deputation to the Hob. R. McNab, who was accompanied by his private secretary, Mr Black. The Mayor of'Waitara, in a brief speech, welcomed the Minister of Marine to the town, on the occasion of his first visit in a Ministerial capacity He regretted that the visit was of such short duration, but it was recognised that it was made at considerable inconvenience. He referred to the serious -news of the closing of the river, which was one of the principal waterways of the King Country. Mr W. T. Jennings said that the main object of the deputation was to impress on the Minister the necessity of something being done to re-open the river.

Mr S. Whitehead, chairman qf the Mokau Harbor Board, said that he thought the Minister was familiar with the circumstances of the case, and their requirements. He wanted to know if it was possible for the Awakino County Council to take charge of the river, with, a view to having the expenditure of any sum that might be granted, without having a special-act of Parliament passed. The Council had a good engineer and staff. The Harbor Board's jurisdiction only extended just beyond the wharf. They had no control whatever further up the river, The Minister said that he would prefer the question to be asked by the Awakino County Council. Mr Body, chairman of the Awakino County Council, said that lie had that day gone iip in a launch to look at the river,-which was indeed in a bad state. It was one of the highways of the King Country, and for a great many settlers it was the only highway. It was a great hardship for these that this natural highway should toe blocked. For the advancement of the district it was necessary that the river should be opened. It was a national work and should not be looked upon from a parochial standpoint. Tliey asked that it should be made navigable for steamers as far as it previously was, and also for launches to serve settlers as far as possible. The whole district was suffering from the closing of the river, because in order to obtain a regular service of large steamers it was necessary that they should obtain a' baek load of coal from the mines. At present boats could only go to the Molcau wharf, and though the district produced wool, meat and butter, a back load of this was onlv available at certain seasons. The result was that smaller steamers had to be employed, which would mean increased rates of freight. It was, no doubt, the development of the country that caused the block, but no one could be blamed for that, as it was one of Xature's laws that when timber was cut slips afid. floods would drive the timber into the river and cause harriers that would hold up the silt, etc. All they asked was that the river should be made as good as it was previous to last November. They did not aslc an exorbitant sum. Far the first 17 miles there were only a few obstructions, caused by willows, but if these were not removed they would increase. Between the 17 and 18 miles there were two blocks, the biggest one being in the river, and it would require a good deal of work, as whole trees had been brought down in places and had been buried up to the roots. If these obstacles were removed the naturally fast current of the river would scour a good deal of the silt. There were several other smaller ones before the mine was reached, 22 miles up. From the mine, further up, a great many settlers relied on the river for an outlet. One man still had his last season's wool clip in his shed. Clearing the river was a matter of urgent necessity, and the settlers •were only asking what they were entitled to when they asked that a grant should be given to be spent as soon as possible. The Awakino County Council would be pleased to allow its engineer to supervise the work under the Government's engineer, or would expend the ■ money if necessary. Understanding that a certain sum of money had been set aside for clearing the river, a meeting of, settlers at Mokau, on the previous evening, had decided that if the. money 'provided was not -sufficient to clear the '■river for steamers from the wharf to •the mines, and for launches from the /mines to Purdie's, they would rate themselves to provide the balance on a subsidy basis.

Hon. M. McNab: Supposing they were 'granted a subsidy for the first clearing, what about keeping the river open afterwards?

Mr. Body said that the settlers along the highway would, no doubt, be willing to contribute on a subsidy basis to keep it open. Hon. 'Mr. McXab: Does that moan that the settlers in a limited district would take over the highway? Owners of land on the banks would have to face the problem of assisting. Mr Body said that Mokau was the port for a. large portion of the district, and hr did not. think there, could be any objection to the settlers from a greater area contributing. TTon. Mr. McNa'b said the estimated ce-t. of the work was £750, and there was tlio question of future maintenance

'Ho to consider. The only vote on the -'unates was £IOO. He thought the ""•"lit time, before the country was cut '"to a large number of smaller areas, "** " g°o«l opportunity to place the . :.ti- on a firm footinik.jojtliatJt

would not bo necessary to approach the Government in the future. It was. lie thought, impossible to get £750 on tlie estimates this yeai for the work, as in the mutter of tinance the Government were running under bare poles. Mr. Body reiterated that this river served one of the biggest tracts of country that was served by any highway in New Zealand. The , railways were mil to a great extent by contributions ■from tlie consolidated funds, and the people of the back-blocks, who helped to pay for them, should be assisted.

Hon. Mr. McNab said the railways were not assisted from the consolidated funds.

Mr. Body said that tlie deputation was representative of the district extending from Marokopa to New iPlymouth. Hon. Mr. McNab: "Whatever is done must, be mutual; that is, the contribution must be mutual." He had to lie very careful over the Mokau. He had received one political purging over tlie river, and did not intend to receive another. If every one 'benefiting was prepared to share the cost with tlie Government, then lie would make a proposal to his colleagues.

Mr. Body: Over and above £"3O v,'e are prepared to contribute.

The Minister said he could not agree to that. It meant that the Government would have to find the. amount which their engineer said was siillieient to do the work. Provided the Government found £750, he asked, would the settlers take it and run the river under rating powers by a local body that would have to be constituted? The difficulty about this was that tfwo counties were affected. There was another suggestion that would involve enlarging the Harbor district, and allowing that body to do the work. He knew the voire of a great many landholders on the river and they were quite prepared to make provision for its future maintenance.

Mr. Body said he could not. commit the settlers without obtaining their consent. Settlers on both sides of tlie river had agreed at the meeting that it would be necessary to contribute something. The Harbor Board did not understand that a survey had been made.

The Minister said that the estimate of Sir. Sharpe, resident engineer at Stratford, was £750.

Mr. Whitehead said that Mr. Sharpe did not go above the Mine?. It- would cost considerably fiver £750. Mr. Body asked that if the settlers would rate themselves for opening and maintaining the river, would the Minister be prepared to recommend a grant on a £ for £ basis. The Hon. Mr. McJfab said that he would submit that proposal, but lie would prefer to contribute a larger share of the clearing to-day if the local bodies took the future maintenance off the Government's hands, as was done in the CRSe of roads. With ail enlarged Harbor Board, the river could be made selfsupporting. Mr. Loughnan considered that lie was responsible for the idea that £750 was available for the river. In conversation with the Minister, he understood that as a straight-out subsidy, he would suggest that £730 was the limit the Government would go to, A middle course was the suggested formation of a,River Board, under which the Government would assist further if necessary. The third course was the formation of a body with rating powers to control the whole river, including the Harbor Board. He understood that the Minister, in order to get rid of the liability, would support a larger vote than f 750'. Hon. Mr. MeNah: [ said I would try and get £751) to jump ofl' with. In reply to the Minister, Mr. Bower, chairman of the Clifton County Council, said that his Council would not throw any objections in the way of the necessary local body bcin<r formed, provided it was confined to those interested. Mr. W. J. Penn, chairman of the New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, said that he bad come out to support the deputation, but could not see the genu of a scheme that would overcome the difficulty. He recognised the need for economising expenditure, but this was a matter of spceial urgency, and the longer it was deferred the more expensive it would be. Messrs. Rennie and >S. .T. Jvennington also spoke in support, the latter considering that giving the Mokau Harbor Board extended powers was the best solution of the difficulty. Mr. Lougbmau said that he could speak for the majority of (he settlors on the river, and they were prepared to be included in a rating scheme. 1T» urged tlmt the river should be declared a highway. Tt was a highway, and had been for years, but because it was not a legal one. owing to the Clifton County Council refusing the request of the owners to declare it such, land holders were unable to obtain a title. He could not, be said, speak strongly enough about the hardships of the settlers on the river, some of whom luul spent a lot of money in trying to keep the stream open. The settlers were willing to put their hands in their pockets and bear the bulk of the burden, but they wanted every one whe benefitted to bear a share.

Jill'. W. A. C'olli-s pointed out the advantages to be derived by the increased number of visitors who would use that route if the river was opened, and a road made to the Main Trunk. He also considered that the blockage weuld not have occurred had the (ievermwnt, listened to the Scenery Preservation Society and passed legislation preventing the denuding: of the steep places, and also kept a fringe of bush on the Sat banks.

Mr. Jennings said that the matter had been freely ventilated and he suggested that those interested should meet ami submit their proposals in writing to the Minister.

Hon. Mr. McNab said that he was prepared to ask his colleagues to place £750 on the Estimates, and also to ask that power be given for a local bodv to take over tiie expenditure of that X 750 and with rating: powers to look after the maintenance of the river. He also gave ,a further promise that if it was found that the cngineeer's estimate was not sufficient, lie would try and. obtain a further sum. He thought that his colleagues would be prepared to go a little "further if he could assure tliem that there weuld be no future liability. Meanwhile, he would try and set the £750, so that it could be expended at once. But he affirmed that lie was not prepared to advocate either a subsidy or a straight-out grant unless the other part of the suggestion was carried out. In reply to Mr. Loughnlan, the Minister did not think there would be any difficulty over the constitution of the local body. Tn reply to Mr. Body, Mr. McNab stated that he would endeavour to have A survey of the river made, but be pointed out that the Public Works engineer's had charge of this and they I were very shorthanftefl owing to many [having gone away with the tunnellers.