WORK AT MANGAHAO

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 33, 3 November 1920, Page 2

WORK AT MANGAHAO

PRELIMINARY OPERATIONS ABOUT

COMPLETED

REPORT ON RECENT VISIT

Representatives ' of. the Mangahab Hydro-Klectnc Power League visited tho works at Mongabno on. Octoger 23 for tho express purpose of-ascertaining the present position of affairs." They have reported as- follows:— . ; "Wo found a sufficient, 6upply of labbur was available.', and : tho works are* fully manuod for the present, about 170 men being now. employed." .These, uro'well accommodated,,, very few being' m' ordinary tents, the '.gr.ettt' majority living in wooden huts, or tents..! with. wooden floors and boarded Bides. Fireplaces are provided in- each hut or.tent. A number oS permanent, cottages, tor, married men havo been- erected, and, generally speaking, ' the accommodation for thoso.employed has been greatly improved, and is now auito satisfactory. Permanent quarters for the engineering staff have been erected on the terrace adjoining the. power-house site, and largo headquarter offices-have also been built at tho samo place... -A towivhip has been laid out bore, with, plans for. proper drainage, etc. Labour, ns has been said, is available in sufficient numbers'to meet present needs,.,except car- • penters, who ,aro needed for building operations. The .men generally • seem ■ quito satisfied, and rates of remuneration for both contract and day labour appear satisfactory, • ;■<..■ ••'■ , I'. Progress; of Work.. .":'. ;' "The whole ■undertaking ..naturally divides into three sections-the power•house site at the Shannon end; work in the Tokoinaru Valley;.-work in the Mangahao Valley. , ' ■ ' "At the Shannon end tho-temporary power-house is erected and sites tor machinery in ploco. The-,big Habcoofc 'boiler of 865 h.p., is now erected, and brickiwj-ra of same will soon bo complete The engine is on the site and partly erected. Pipes for the air com--ure'ssibn lino are on tho- site.- ' Benching for the pipes from tho'surge chamber' to the poWcr-hous© is mprocess of excavation, and a largo amount of-the work is done. Preparation is well advnnced to enable tunuol piercing to be started ns soon as the necessary -elec-, trical' generators are to hand. ■ Ihfso have been ordered for many■■ months, and should bo on the way from England. Poles for the transmission-.lino to tho Tokoinaru Valley are- being-placed on. the ground. A. ; workshop fully equipped with lathe, planing machine, etc., has also beeu built, and the' machinery is in place. Providing there is. no unduo delay in the avrival of generator,. ote., the work here should proceed very satisfactorilj. _ „ ' u , • "In the Tokomaru .Vallev tlio .dam site is cleared and ready for starting work as soon as the necessary stono for a""re"ate is available for tho tunnels. The site for tho- crusher .is, prepared.. Tramways from tunnel headings to crusher site and spoil deposit are complete, and everything is prepared... for ■ commencing tunnel ,v;orks. It, is understood it is. the engineers, intention 'to .start tho tunnel works by hand, so as to prevent delay while. waiting.for.'electric power for working air compressors for 'driving the drills. ;.: "In tho Mangahao Valley tlio ,]|gtramway from the'end of the road/ to the valley is now- complete., si his has a total fall of 450 feet, with a grade of, approximately lin 2. It has already proved- its usefulness by enabling the for the small power-house■ to bo lowered to the powor-house site without tho delay fWi-.To«U , >''««{e necessary by tho construction of ' the road to.the bottom,of tho' valley. All the machinery, including a boiler of seven tons weight, is on the Rite, and everything should be ready tor a start,in. piercing'the tunnel'before the end of the year. This hiiinel. being;-one mile in length', is the key to. tho -whole construction works, and-will probably decide tho timo taken to completo, the scheme. Tlio sawmill is now in good working order and has a .daily output or four to fiwl thousand ■,t«x.- Inw ls a" great convenience to. the works, practically assuring tho. engineers ~ against •delay' in supply of this most important raw material. Steady Progress Made..

"It may now be said that all the preliminary works necessary for the carryin" out of the undertaking are practically completed, and tho actual work of construction is now-in hand. ' Tho wcatlicr'has been 'very adverse during' the' few months, but- in-spito of that, 6teady progress-has been mode, and wo feel sure that if tho works nro not completed within tho time originally specified it will not be the fault of the The committee praises the' excellent work done by the Y.M.C.A. and its secretary, Mr. Morton. A 'picture' theatre and recreation hall has been erected in the Tokoinaru ' Valley, and ■* programme is given twice a week. A library for tho use of tho men has also been started; ' Mr. Morton' really requires 6omo means of locomotion. The camps are approximately ". five miles apart, and it would be ii great'help to him if some better means were provided to enable him to move more easily from one camp to another. It providing some means of ' recreation; ".and. amusement to men start off from all the customary relaxations of civilisation "(says the committee), the Y.M.C.A- is assisting in a very valuable manner- to tho 'quicker completion of the work. The committee also notes with pleasure the statement, made by tho Hon. J G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, that power from Waikaromoann. will be available to supplement Mangohao within four years. . "This being so, it seems evident that the fears expressed in various.. districts that the power available mil not bo sufficient may-be set osule. It is certain that it will take .a-few ..years.to complete the demand to its peak load, •even, after Mangahao is available, and under the circumstances the.wisdom ot seeking to dovelop supplementary, hydro schemes' seems somewhat doubtful. •*or it may be taken for granted that, tlio oventual cost of electricity to the- consumer will be •governed by the Government price for samo'as supplied *to boards,from their large hydro-elect™ developments, when the present financial demands'of local bodies for urgent .'lie-, velopmcnt works, now overdue because of the war, and- tho. <MiciiUy local bodies are meoling in finding ft* "•«">* to satisfy those demands, are taken into consideration, and when jt is"'fur her considered that probal. v half a million or more will be required to'meet-the necdVof reticulation oyer the Mangahao district, a further urgent '««*>» i. found for emphasising the need lot caution in this matter." ,