MANGAHAO POWER.

Shannon News, 21 February 1922, Page 4

MANGAHAO POWER.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

report

A very satisfactory report of progress at the Mangahao Hydro-electric Works was given to a representative of the Evening Post by Mr G. Mitchell, M.P., secretary of the Central Progress League, who has just paid a visit to the scene of operations. 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 tunnel 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. lhe lift machinery to take material up 1 o 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 this rock for concrete for the dams. ) At Mangahao end the 'excavation for the darn is being pushed on, and a bridge across the stream, to take the place of the piejsent. one, which will be below watei level when the dam is lull, is m course of construction. PROGRESS OF TUNNELS.

Up to the. unfortunate stoppage, good progress had been made at at!, the tunnel heads, which have keen pierced up to the 31st January, i 923, as/follows: No. 1 Tunnel (inlet) ... 1121 feet. No. 2 Tunnel (outlet)... 1103 feet No. 2 Tunnel (inlet) ... 1692 leet No. 2 Tunnel (outlet) ... 350 feetNo. 1 Adit 21) feetNo. 2 Adit 240 leet By Pass Tunnel, Mangahao 360 ft. This makes a total piercing of 1563 feet out of 13,068 feet to be pierced. On account' of the refusal of the men to work at the reduced wages, the Government decided to* call tenders 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 be working instead of six as at present, which will in> crease the rate of driving accordingly. 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. •’

TUNNEU-ERS on STRIKE.

.DEPARTMENTAL MUDDLE

ALLEGED

The trouble amongst the tunneUers at the Mangahao hydro-electric works has pot yet .been settled. Commenting on the situation. Mr A. Cook, aclingsecertary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, remarked that the attitude 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 for a reduction in the cost of explosives and sharpening of steel, 1 ufi the Minister refused to grant either request,” said Mr Cook. “The stand taken by the Minister is hard to understand, but there is no doubt that he had previously received h|g instructions from the party he represents, viz., the 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 m 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 co-operative contract work. What the Minister does favour is a straight-out contract, which means taking a little worry oil the shoulders of the Department, “The men-were prepared to continue work at £3 2/ per foot. Compare this with the price the Department is already paying for one tunnel at viz., £4 10/ per foot lor a straight-out contract. It is practically certain that not less tiian £4 10/ per loot will have to he paid for 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 Ai;apele Tunnel. MEN HARD TO REPLACE.

“The tunnel men who have now left Mangahao were made up of me best tunnel workers in New Zealand, and will be very hard to replace. The 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. To give some idea of the wet nature of the tunnel the men were working in —the pumps were throwing 1,50 gallons per minute out of Arapete end of- the tunnel.

“Finally, I sum the position up r»s more Public Works Department muddle. I wish to state that the men stood solid throughout the trouble, and, so far as they are concerned, ‘he work will be at a standstill for a hundred years, unless their reasonable demands are granted.”