DIVERSION OF TUNNEL

Chronicle (Levin), 23 April 1948, Page 5

DIVERSION OF TUNNEL

Press Association)

UHionist's View Of Progress ' Ai Maraetai

(Per

HAMILTON, April 23.' For the past twelve months progress on- the diversion of the tun? nel at Maraetai, "which must be pierced before -the. new dam eah be built there, has been at the rate of 50 feet a month, the tunnel being one of the wettest ever enpountered on a Public Works job in New Zealand. If the tuimellers on the project had "been working on a roster system over seven days weekly instead of a straight five day week, progress might have been improved by another . 20 feet per month, shortenihg the time required to complete the diversion tunnel by as much as six months. _ ,v - This was brought out this morning when the Mangakino trijDunal resumed its sittings. %*i> Patrick George Gavin, ehairman of the Mangakino ''Branch of, the New Zealand Workers' Union, was cross-examined by Mr. J. E. Engel, for the Works Department, concerning.the refusal by the branch last year to aecept a proposal from the Minister of Works for a roster system to rnaintain- tunnelling activity for seven days weekly. Gavin and earlier witnesses who had -discussed the matter said that the union refusal to accept the fpster proposal was on the ground 'that as there were allegedly insufficient tools on the j ob for a five -day week, it would not be worthwhile to attempt operations on a seven day basis. Gavin agreed with Mr. Engel that a roster system might haye shortened the job by up to six months, but said that iii his opinion more than 20 feet' monthly could have been gained within the five day week if different methods of tunnelling had been used. Mr. Engel : I cannot see that fchese new methods have been brought forward at any time. When Mr. Engel mentioned that Maraetai, on its completion, is likely to yield a revenue of £4,000 daily, Gavin said he agreed that every day which could be saved on the job was important to the nation. He acknowledged that competent engineers who had inspected the job had been unable to suggest aiternative tunnelling methods, but engineers were not infallible. Mr. Engel mentioned to Gavin that on one occasion he had been told by the Prime Minister that Mr. Fraser considered relations between the workers and engineers at Karapiro had been the best Mr. Fraser had ever known. Witness did not doubt that the Prime Minister had told the tunnellers at Maraetai that if these- same harmoiiious relations could be maintained at Maraetai, the tunnel liere could be eompleted in record time. Another fact mentioned by Mr". Engel was tlfat at one stage 4,000 tons of hot bitumen had been pumped into the tunnel to eounteract seepage. Mr. Engel: Is it time you resigned from the Labour Party when a recert meeting of members of the Mangakino branch decided to ban Ccmmunist Party literature- conipletely? * Ga.un: No. In the first place the Labour Party meeting did not ban Communist literature. They placed a fcan on buying it, but there was nothing wrong wirh reading the Pe,ple's Voice or Mangakino Spark. Mr. Engel: Was it not unanimously decided to boycott the spark? Gavin: Only so far as buying it was concerned. They were conceriied with pennies or twopences going into the funds of the Cominunist Party. Witness said he had resigned from the Mangakino branch of the Labour Party, but he had not resigned from the Party. He had r.w joined Roskill branch. His beiibi in the Labour Party had npt :ccn influenced by the foolish decision of its Mangakino branch — so foolislf that aciion was taken for it to be'rescinded. Mr. Engel: I understand you put the issue before the meeting as one between Clapham and Tory engineers? Witness: I may have done. I think it was a fair way of putting the proposition. A lot of "navvy , language" is used on occasions like that. I am not a poli^hed orator myself. Mr. Engel: Have you found the resident engineer, Mr. Clark, a ' fair, reasonable and considerate man? Witness: Very much so. He is one.of the fairest and most reasonable men I have met.