The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1927. FEARS ABOUT ARAPUNI

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 65, 8 June 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1927. FEARS ABOUT ARAPUNI

FEAR lias been expressed openly by Mr. W. Holdsworth, as " chairman of the Auckland Electric-Power Board, that the projected conference at Hamilton to-morrow on the serious consequences of delay at Arapuni dam may develop into a farce because of a possible departmental effort to sidetrack discussion from the main problem to minor difficulties. Since so - many administrative and political conferences have been farcical in recent years, the addition of one more would not cause a great deal of surprise though it might provoke some exasperation. It is to be desired, however, that the Government’s representatives and the other delegates to the -conference will go straight to the core of their subject and avoid further practice of evasive palaver and pretence. As far as the question affects the interests of the public, which has to pay for everything in the end, the fear is' not so much about a farcical or futile conference as it is about the danger of failure at Arapuni. This apprehension probably is grossly exaggerated, but it exists. Moreover, it grows rapidly and even takes bold among engineers and administrators who cannot be charged with crass ignorance of conditions. If such fear of a colossal failure at Arapuni be the product of foolish imagination, it is clearly the duty of the Government to dispel it and to set a talkative community straight in line with the actual facts.

It is indisputable common knowledge that all is not well at the Arapuni hydro-electric construction works; also that the difficulties grievously harassing the contractors and the certain inability of the Government to discharge the terms of its contract with the Auckland Power Board to supply ample power from Arapuni have been caused by abnormal circumstances over which neither has control. The completion of the big dam and power house on the Waikato at Arapuni was originally scheduled for August of this year. On the strength of the Government’s guarantee the Auckland Power Board made expensive preparations for making use of the prospective electrical energy. It will be a serious thing for the community if the board’s commitments cannot be met in full. Already the right of consumers to demand a reasonable share in the profits has been prejudiced. Indeed, the prospect of a reduction in the prices charged for the supply of electric power and light has been thrust far into the future. And now the board is faced with the necessity for spending much public money on an extensmn of its generating plant so as to make up for the failure of the State to keep its contract within specified time. No one in possession of common sense would desire to add unfairly to the ruinous difficulties of the contractors at Arapuni but the time has come for an authoritative statement by the responsible administration as to the progress of the expensive works and the extent of the contractors’ unforeseen difficulties Here are several pertinent questions which an engineer of W?i7h f put forward for consideration by the authorities: \\ ill the Aiapuni hydro-electric scheme become a colossal failure? s the Government, m arranging a conference on the subiect wm P be m sainb e - P a scheme? How much money will be sunk m a porous volcanic bed before the power house F alSed and equipped for service? Definitive answers should be given, if for no other reason than to allay fear and silence mischievous rumour. y dna

THE JOCKEY PAYS

THOUGH the disqualification of Mr. Mervyu Wells, hastily im- * po^ d by th ® stewards of the Auckland Racing Club in conm-ctioiiivith the running of Memsahib, has been removed by th H re ? Very B ' rave dissatisfaction among followers of ; acmg over tlie decision of the committee that the sentence on the jockey is to stand. that ttle The stewards disqualified Mr. Wells and his iockev W TT to uphold the appeal of the' owne of MmS the appeal of the iockev ~ i ,- but to dismiss reason for this distffictfon. PUbllC Wlll Wlsh to know the „„ Wells, according to the official report issued bv the wed'back’in d tbe teCl ! 'f t 2 ld the j° cke Y to keep Memsahib ueil back m the early part of the race, so as to conserve her frightened of a th n e e n V oVvr^-° f Tf®, CaSe was “ that Reid had been listened of the possibilities of the mare falling and hurtiim him if she were allowed to run along in the early stages.” An expert iven er “H Jllmpers " ; i ve ev 'dence that Memsahib’s rider was wer7 the h 7n COrr e eCt "mtruction to win” on Saturday. If this fmu i h 7 instruction, why was the jockey who carried Mr Wed Un + del ’ while the owner was released r aT ri d that he took the f uH responsibility in ', gaid to orders. His attitude is the onlv pleasing feature iu a most unsatisfactory ease. As he points out. “the iockev is a enti’tled 7o e the f n d IS t h ' S and his all > and he is as'much entitled to the fullest consideration as the wealthiest owner.” Well, the jockey does not seem to have received it, or if he did, such is not obvious from the report. It is high time that the public got behind the veil of this secret inquiry business Ihe public money maintains racing, and tlie public has the rmht to demand representation at these investigations. Until they open the doors of their courts of summary jurisdiction to the representatives of the Press, the racing authorities cannot expect otherwise than that they shall be suspected of partialitv and injustice as between owner and jockey, and of disregard of le vested rights of those who place their money in the totalisator. J