HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Otaki Mail, 22 February 1922, Page 4

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

FIRST MEETING OF HOROAVHENUA POWER BOARD.

The first meeting 01, me newly - elected Horowhenua Hydro-electric Power Board was held on Monday, when there were present: Messrs. G. A. Monk, A. Seifert and A. A. Brown (Horowhenua), C. Kilsby (Otaki), J . Whibley (Foxtori), W. 11. Gunning (Shannon), A. 1. McKay (lluilt), \\. Barber (Manawatu) and D. W. Matlioson (Levin Borough).

The first business was the election of a chairman, and Mr G. A. Monk was unanimously selected for that post. On taking the chair, Mr Monk observed tliat within two years, if the Minister’s assurance could be accepted, Mangaitao power would be available, and that being the dase, the Board would have no time to spare m preparing for its reception. For a .ew months he did not think it would je necessary to have a permanent clerk nor to establish a spocial office, and in the meantime he was sure that, if tlio County Council was apgrouched, Mr Goldsmith, who had act-

.! all along as secretary of the Pro.siouul Committee, would be allowed a do the clerical, work of the Board at conjunction with his duties as County Clerk. Mr Goldsmith was leaving that day for Auckland on his annual holidays, and on the return journey lie had promised to look inat Cambridge and Te Awamutu, where similar boards were already under way in connection with the Horahora scheme, and gather any iniormation that he might deem of value for the guidance of ihe llorowhenua Board.

A committee consisting of Messrs. Matheson and Brown was then appointed to wait on the County Council regarding Mr Goldsmith's duties. It was announced by the chairman that ibere was a recommendation on band from ihe Provisional Committee that Mr Goldsmith be re-imbtirsed for. nis services by the payment, of 50 guineas. This could not be dealt with, however. until the board had funds to work on. It was very much to the credit of ihe Provisional Committee that its expenses were DO per cent less than those oi most of ihe other similar committees set up in the country. The total which the Board would nave to take over as antecedent baud ily did not exceed £2OO. Regarding the mechanical part, Mr seilert considered that, continuity and smoothness of work would be more easily attained through a permanent than a consulting engineer. Mr Brown observed that the Waira rapa Board was paying its engineer £3OOO a year. Such a sum would he a big hurdle for ihe llurowheriua Board, but il would be essential to have a good man. Mr Gunning thought it was just \ possible that die hoard might a.r- ---| range with an adjoining district in die appointment of a joint engineer. “To put it in plain language,” said Mr Matheson, ”we cannot, at any price, afford to have a dud." There was a doubt in bis mind as lo whef Bier the work was of sufficient magnitride lu engage a permanent engi--1 neei', whereas he was sure good value could be obtained from a reliabJe. cout*iß;;o'- engined | Mr Kiisb/, remarked that the Public Works Department «];/>!!Id he able to give all ihe iliionnaiion required. ‘ It [ is in liieir interest to set us going," tie said. At this poiiii ihe enairmuii replied that if. pas all right to go to the loparimeut with g. list of questions, but ol no use to go U»» general information. 1 Eventually it was decided that the . question ol the appointment of an J engineer be left over until the next i meeting alter M; Goldsmith’s return; . also that if deemed neco.-.sary a com- I sitiuae ol members of the Board g.o to I the Waikato and Thames districts forj information. I The .chairman and Messrs. Matheson j and .Seifeil were appoiqjed a commit- 1 tee to’ go into die quesgpn ui the un- j tia! finances. - 'it # mangahaotower. A very satisfactory r.ep.oit o! progress at the Mangahuo Hydro-glec-nc Works was given to a representative of die Evening Post by Mr G. Mitchell, M.P., secretary of the Central Progress League,.who has just paid a fds >it. to the scene ol operations, .vMitched jiUKfi'}. that, in spite of the unfortunate strike by .v-py? of the tuuneliors against the wage reilucfion, wiiicli has temporarily field up some of die tunnel work, quite satisfactory progress is being made, and so far as ihe Publii Works Department is -on-

p- ee riled there will be HO delay in the completion of the big job. n- The excavation for the power house: d. has b(?e.n completed and a start nas :e l>een made yi :f; ilie foundations. The l s lift machinery to take material up to j 0 the tunnel outlet and surge chamber, |(] also material for the pipe line foun,u datioiis, is installed ami working, tme ' excavation for the surge chamber is well under waj. At Arapete a huge ?t heap of rock spoil from tire tunnel is accumulating ami a plant is being installed to crush tilts rock for concrete for the darns. At Maugahao end the excavation for the da:n is being . pushed on, and a bridge across the ,3 stream, to jake me place of the pielU sent one, which will be below water P level when the darn is full, is m B course of construction. 'o PROGRESS. OF TUNNEL*. g Up to the unfortunate stoppage, a good progress had been made at All y the tonne! heads, which have been pierced up to me 31st January, l'j-'2. .. as follows: t No. 1 Tunnel (inletj ... 1121 feet. e No. Tunnel (outlet;... 1103 feet No. i Tunnel (inlet, ... 1692 feet No. ? Tunnel .'outlet, ... 3.10 feet 8 No. 1 Adli as feet 5 * No. 2 Adit -240 feetj By Pass Tunnel, Mangahao 560 ft. This makes a iota! piercing of 4562 {feet out of 13,063 feet to be pierced. On account of the refusal of tire men to work at the reduced’ wages, the Government decided to call ten-

tiers for the remaining tunnels, and it is not anticipated that the strike will in any way delay the completion of the work. When tenders are let eight tunnel heads will he working instead of six as at present, which will increase the rate ol driving accordingly. Mr Mitchell added: “The general progress ol' the work left no reason to doubt the - Department’s ability to have the power ready by the estimated time, viz., December, 1923." TUNNELLERS ON STRIKE. DEPARTMENTAL MUDDLE . ALLEGED. The trouble amongst the tunnehers at the Mangahao hydro-electric works has not yet been settled. Commenting on the situation. Mr A. Cook, aeiingsecertary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, remarked that the attilude taken up by the Public Works Department was typical of the present Government’s administration. MINISTER AND INSTRUCTIONS.

“We went before the Minister to ask lor a reduction in the cost of aplosives and sharpening ol' steel, but the Minister refused to grant either request," said Mr Cook. “The stand taken by the Minister is hard to understand, hut there is no doubt that he had previously received ins instructions from the party he represents, viz., tire Employers’ Federation. Briefly, the stand taken by the Minister means that it is going to cost from £7OOO to £IO,OOO more to do the tunnel work at Mangahao than it would have done had the Minister granted the reasonable concessions asked.

“It. has been repeatedly stated in the press that the Minister favours the work being done by co-operative contract. This is not so. The men have already been engaged on cooperative contract work. What the Minister does favour is a straight-out. contract, which means taking a little worry otf the shoulders of the Department. “The men were prepared 1o con tinue work at £3 2/ per foot. Compare tliis with trie piiw ihe Department is already paying for one tunnel at Mangahao, viz.. £-i 10/ per foot lor a straight-out contract, it is practically certain that not less than £4 10/ per foot will have to be paid lor the Arapete Tunnel by straight-out contract, whereas, had the Minister granted our requests, it would have meant a saving of £1 8/ per foot, or, roughly, £7500 on the Arapete Tunnel. MEN HARD TO REPLACE. “The tunnel men who have now left Mangahao were made up of tne best tunnel workers in New Zealand, and will be very hard to replace, ihe men were working under the worst conditions, and had a little'tact been used by the Public Works Department, they would have been there till the tunnel was completed, lo give some idea of ihe wet nature ol the tunnel the men were working in —the pumps were throwing 150 gallons per minute out of Arapete end of the tunnel.