MANGAHAO.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2396, 23 February 1922, Page 2

MANGAHAO.

STEADY PROGRESS MADE. NO DELAY IN COMPLETION. BUT POWER BOARDS LAGGINgT Mr G. Mitchell, M.P., secretary of. the Central Progress League, who, in company with Dr. Line, has paid a visit to the scene of operations, gives a very favourable report of the progress made at the Mangahao Hydro-Electric Works. Bright, warm sunshine enabled the works to be inspected under ideal conditions. Mr Mitchell stated that in spite of the unfortunate strike by some of the tunnellers against the wage reduction, which has temporarily held up some of the tunnell work, quite satisfactory progress is being made, and so far as the Public Works Department is concerned there will be no delay in the completion of the big .job. •

The excavation for the power house has been completed, and a start has been made with the foundations. The .lift machinery to take material up to the tunnel outlet and surge chamber, also material for the pipe line foundations, is installed and working. The excavation for the surge chamber is well under way. At Arapete a huge heap of rock spoil from the tunnel is accumulating, and a plant is being installed to crush the ro.ck for concrete for the darns. At Mangahao end the excavation for the dam is being pushed on, and a bridge across the stream, to take the place of the present one, which will be below water level when the dam is full, is in course of construction. Up to the unfortunate stoppage last week good progress has been made at all the tunnel heads, which have been pierced up to 31st January, 1922, as follows: —

By Pass Tunnel, Mangahao 3CO ft. This makes a total piercing of 1,502 feet out of 13,068 feet to be pierced. . On account of the refusal of the men to work at the reduced wages, t he. Government decided to call tenders for the remaining tunnels, and it is not anticipated that the -trike will in any way delay the completion of the work. When the tenders are let, eight tunnel heads will be working," instead of six as at pre--ent, which will increase the rate of driving accordingly. READY BY DECEMBER, 1923. Mr Mitchell added: “The general progress of the work left no reason to doubt the Department’s ability to have the power ready by the estimated time, viz., December, 1923. “I regret that I cannot report the same steady progress by all the power hoards in their preparation to receive the current when it becomes available,” declared Mr Mitchell. “Some of the boards have made excellent progress, notably so, Wairarapa, which is decidedly in advance of all the others. But, in the case of two power districts, Hutt and Tararua, I am informed the hoards have not yet been constituted. The time entailed in obtaining the necessary signatures to the petition, and the formalities and delays which take place before the hoard can properly function, is considerable, to say nothing of the time which must elapse before a policy is decided upon, survey completed, and the material accumulated to carry out the work. The delay in constituting their power hoards in the districts mentioned does not do credit to the public men concerned; especially is the delay unfortunate in regard to the Hutt, where the reticulation work will be considerable. I understand that a forward movement is now being made in these two districts, and it is to be hoped they will push on to completion, for, in the event of the power available not being equal to the demand, it will naturally go to those ready to receive it.”

Xo. 1 Tunnel (Inlet) .. 1121ft Xo. I Tunnel! (Outlet) . . .. 1103 ft Xo. 2 Tunnell (Inlet) ... .. 1692 ft Xo. 2 Tunnel (Outlet) . . .. 350 ft Xo. 1 Adit 20 ft N'o. 2 Adit • .. 240 ft