The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1921. ARAPUNI.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 640, 10 June 1921, Page 6

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons.

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1921. ARAPUNI.

“We nothing extenuate, nor aught set ' down in malice.”

At the present moment there is considerable discussion and concern relative to the suitability or otherwise of Arapuni as a hydro-electric site. The writer has had considerable to . do with the preliminary meetings which ultimately resulted in the formation of Power Boards in the Waikato and the linking up of Horahora with Cambridge. Te Awamutu and Hamilton. Over two years ago at one of the preliminary meetings held, a well-known Waikato civil engineer, who superintended the erection of the Horahora works gave it as his opinion then that Arapuni would never be built for a very obvious reason—that it was within the earthquake zone, and that though engineers could design a dam to resist any given pressure of water, it was impossible to calculate the force of an earthquake. The engineer also pointed out the terrible consequences to all towns on the Waikato river should such a dam burst, Hamilton, Nearuawahia and Mercer would disappear from the map and the effects would be felt even further afield. Therefore,, he argued, that the final decision of the Government would be that Arapuni would not be chosen as a power site. But this engineer also stated that Arapuni was not needed. It was possible to extend the dam at Flora Horn, and install six more generators, and between Hora Horn and Cambridge there was a site which could be utilised and would produce about the present capacity of the Flora Hora plant. If this were done there would be a sufficient supply of current for the districts concerned, including Auckland, for very many years. It would be well, therefore, to remember this when urging the benefits of Arapuni, because this is the expressed opinion of an expert, and a man who knows the various sites thoroughly.