THE PREPARATORY WORK.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 46, 4 September 1924, Page 2

THE PREPARATORY WORK.

MUKU CREEK QUARRY. Survey for the Ropeway. Power for the Machinery. An immense amount of planning' and detail work is involved in commencing such big jobs as the Arapuni contracts, as the smooth working of the contracts when in full swing is largely dependent on the organisation, facilities, and methods that have been formulated before hand. It is on this preliminary work that the contyactcji’s' engjineeib a.t Futaruru are at present engaged, pending the provision of accommodation at Arapuni for staff and workmen, when the actual construction work can be put in hand. Meanwhile the engineers are busy selecting sites for storingmaterials, erecting machinery, and generally mapping out on the ground the location of the various centres of industry to best fit in one with the other. OBTAINING THE METAL.

One of the first works wfTi be the opening up of the Muku creek quarry, 12 miles up the Waikato river from Arapuni, and the building of an aerial ropeway over those 12 miles to transport broken metal from the quarry to Arapuni for super-metalling- the Putaruru-Arapuni road and for use in the construction of the dam, etc. The engineers have already v'sited the quarry site, and, incidentally, a toilsome trip it proved. Here ground faces have to be cleared to permit of a decision as to the best place to open the quarry and establish the loading end for the ropeway. At Arapuni a site for the delivery end has to be selected, and then a survey has to be made between these two points to mark the route for the ropeway. Mr. Mackie, from Sydney, has arrived at Futaruru specially in connection with the erection of the ropeway. POWER FOR THE MACHINERY. Other preliminary work which is also in hand is the obtaining of poles for electricity reticulation lines at Arapuni to carry the electricity to the various points where it will be required as motive power for machinery, etc., to be used in the big constructional works. THE FIRST JOB. At the Arapuni village, the main activity is the building- work, under Mr. R. Sanders, while at Putaruru the construction of the private railway siding for tihe contractors- is making good progress. ATTRACTION FOR TOURISTS. With the continued fine weather the roads have dried and Arapuni is becoming-, more than ever, a mecca for sight-seers, especially during- the week-ends. Altogether, the carrying contractors’ vehicles and the motor cars are making the Putaruru-Ara-puni road and the streets of Putaruru town particularly busy thoroughfares, and it almost seems that unless widening is effected at various points congestion of traffic will n'ot be unlikely when the works are in full swing. It is already obvious that to stand the traffic the town roads will almost at once have to Have another dressing of substantial metal given them.