The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1927. THE STATE AND ARAPUNI

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 67, 10 June 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1927. THE STATE AND ARAPUNI

CONTRARY to fear within the delegation itself the conference at Hamilton yesterday on the difficulties caused by the delay at Arapuni hydro-electric works was neither farcical nor futile. And the greater' fears in the public mind about, the ultimate results of the great enterprise were allayed, if not altogether dispelled by an authoritative statement that the contract would be finished in. eighteen months, with a prospect of the supply of power from one unit in considerably less time. It can be said (and it is fair to say it) that the conference of the various power boards’ representatives was an appreciable success. There was no evidence of any desire to shilly-shally with the main subject and no attempt was made to sidetrack discussion. The Minister of Public Works and his departmental experts were perfectly frank about the serious difficulties involved, and exercised a commendable willingness to accept and discharge the responsibilities of the State in respect of keeping to the spirit, though not exactly to the letter, of its contract to supply power within a specified period. An assurance was given by the Hon. K. S. Williams that the Government would do its best to see that the power boards concerned would not be embarrassed with a shortage of power pending the completion of the works at Arapuni. About this reasonable pledge there was nothing of the character of a political promise. It was supported by a definite statement as to the readiness of the Government to bear a share of the extraordinary expenditure that must be involved in providing an auxiliary supply of power. The sum of this prospective additional cost was not even estimated, but it is clear that the expense will be considerable. It is obviously the duty of the Government to contribute the greatest portion of the extra amount. The Minister and the departmental experts clearly preferred to install extra generating plant rather than incur the cost of linking up the Waikato scheme with the Waikaremoana project which has yet to be carried out. Postponement on the one hand, and a distant prospect on the other scarcely suggests an ideal combination. Common-sense, to say nothing at all about the necessity for economy—-the link with Waikaremoana would cost £150,000 — demanded adoption of the proposal to set up an auxiliary plant. In the matter of cost Mr. Furkert informed the conference that his department contemplated meeting half of the total expenditure on additional plant. As the prudent departmental representative of the harassed Administration he shrewdly claimed that this offer was liberal treatment. A less exaggerated adjective might have been selected with reason. In view of the fact that the Government contracted to supply power from Arapuni on a given date, but cannot fulfil its contract, the department’s offer to pay 50 per cent, of the extra cost is in reality an excellent bargain for the State. All things considered, however, the offer ought to be accepted by the power boards with reasonable cheerfulness. Things are much better than most people expected them to be.