AWAPUNI WORKS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1930, Page 2

AWAPUNI WORKS

MR SEMPLE’S VERDICT.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

3IAM.iI/TON, June 21

Mr R. Semple, M.l\, who was asked by the Workers’ tlnion and the Minister of Public Works, to make an inspection investigation of the tunnelling aV Arapuni, stated subsequently that there was no cause for alarm m regard to the nature of the work. He considered that in order to make doubly sure, a. twelve-foot bore should, be kept ahead of the face. This would tap any water cavities that might exist.

Asked for his opinion of the whole business after his inspection, Mr Semple said that his conviction had •been strengthened that the whole scheme was a fiasco. The way in which water had found its way through the cracks confirmed his opinion that the scheme had been built on a shifting mass. The river seemed to be eating back to the old liver bed sooner than had been anticipated. The suggestion for concreting the falls, Mr Semple characterised as being stupid in the extreme, no amount of concrete, he said, would be able to withstand : the terrible force of the water that would pour over in flood time.

Mr Semple urged ft definite and complete investigation by a special committee empowered to call in eminent outside engineers.

To spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in concrete, said Mr Seniple, would be merely throwing money away. The worst aspect was that there was no .guarantee , no matter what money was spent, that • the scheme would successfully function The country should not throw good money after bad.

.Air Semple described the scheme as a gigantic callosal blunder, and a criminal waste of money. Such had been his opinion from the very outset. To have built the transformer station on its present site was sheer madness. The land composed soft sugary strains of pipe clay and mud, which were destined to allow water to pass through from the higher channel to the old bed.

Mr Semple considered that what had actusilly happened was that the land had been continually and persistently Weakened by the shocks from the blasting tunnels, . and that the strata had thus Ibeen opened up. The ventilation' thus caused had resulted in the softening of the strata, and the pressure of water had set up a certain vibration. These factors, combined with’ the breaking action of the penstocks„jinder the load, and the vibration of the power house machinery had set up an earth movement, which in his opinion, was inevitable, Mater saturation had thus been gendered easy.

Mr Semple added that lie was satisfied that, not another penny should be spent on Arapuni until complete investigations were made. When Parliament reassembles, he proposes to move that a special committee be set up, with power to make full investigations and to allow the assistance of eminent outside engineers.

Mr Semple said that he felt the peqple had lost confidence in the Pulblic Works Department, particularly in relation to its works at Arapuni.

MR McKEAN’S AMAZEMENT

HAMILTON, June 21

Mr R. McKean, M.P., expressed amazement at the damage done since he was at Arapuni last. It was very problematical if the scheme could be made an economic working proposition. This question would be one of the first raised when Parliament meets. He was of opinion that all of the documents, plans, and data relating to the scheme should be tabled in the House and made public. It seemed a shame that a vast expenditure of public money, spent on providing an economical public social utility, had been wasted.

The party comprising Messrs Semple McKean and W. Lee Martin, M.’sP., expressed their appreciation of the courtesy shown them by Mi- T. Ra•kone, Engineer-in-Charge, who had placed every facility in their way for making a thorough inspection.

AUCKLAND POWER BOARD

ORDERS NiEW PLANT,

AUCKLAND, June 21

The Auckland Power Board has instructed the English, agents to inquire for extra eLotrical equipment that can be shipped to Auckland immediately.

The Chairman said Shat his attempts to convene a conference with the Public Works Department engineers had failed, and the Board knew that Arapuni would be idle for a long time. As the Department had practically ignored the Board’s request, the Board must act for itself.