DISQUIETING RUMOURS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1930, Page 5

DISQUIETING RUMOURS

NEWSPAPER ASKS FOR INVESTIGATION,

BLENHEIM, July 6

In view of the situation of Arapuni’ the following editorial in to-day’s “Marlborough Express” is of interest: “It seems strange that, instead of an installation of a £200,000 steamdriven plant at Huntley to relieve the serious situation following on the breakdown at Arapuni, the Public Works Department has not taken steps to bring about the much talked ofpnajor development of the Waikaremoana scheme and the connecting of Waikamnoatia with the Arapuni system. The country has been led to believe that tho present development of Waikaremoana is but an earnest of the enormous supply of power available there. If this is true, the obvious remedy for the Arapuni disaster is the immediate prosecution of the .supposed opportunity at Waikaremoana.

“But is it true? Alarming reports have been current in this part of New Zealand for some time that any Further developing C at Waikaremoana is geologically impossible. Further tlia.ii that tiie adequacy of the water supply at the Mangahao scheme is being called into question. Put bluntly, with or without reason the story is being bruited abroad that all three of the great North Island schemes, involving probably -ten millions sterling, are what is oolloqually termed a' ‘washout.’

“We are not in a position to say whether there is any .substance in these rumours, but the . allegations are of such a startling nature that a. statement from the responsible Minister as to the position and prospects of the three schemes is very desirable. In any ca,Sp there would be no harm in authorising the- commission which i.s to investigate Arapuni to look, also, into 'the prospects of the other two schemes.”