ARAPUNI’S FINAL COST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 474, 2 October 1928, Page 8

ARAPUNI’S FINAL COST

NO COMPENSATION FOR CONTRACTORS “INFORMATION OVERDUE” (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter > WELLINGTON, Monday. What is going to be the final cost to the State of the demonstration by the Public Works D> partment that \ was right In the first place about the power-house site at Arapuni? - This was the burden of a question put to the Minister of PubP Works by Mr. H. G. R. Mason | (Eden) during the discussion of the Public Works Statement this afternoon. “It is a mighty difficult engineering job that cannot be solved if you are prepared to spend enough money on it,” said Mr. Mason, with reference ; to the success of the Public Works engineers in overcoming the difficulties considered practically insuperable by the original contractors. Sir | W. Armstrong, Whitworth, Ltd. ASTONISHED Mr. Mason further said that he was astonished that there was no explanation in the Public Works StatemeL l of the history of the dispute which terminated in the cancellation of tht contract. He was astonished, too. that they had come to this late dau without an explanation in any other form. Even conceding the Govern meat's wisdom in avoiding further delay by terminating the contract, he thought the country was entitled to some explanation of the earlier delay which he considered was founded on a petty desire to “save the face” of the Public Works administration. “It would be interesting to know what the demonstration now beine given is costing,” concluded Mr. Mason. Have you any facts, asked Mr. Coates. Mr. Mason: Only such facts ae every’one knows. Mr. J. A. Lee: You won't give us any facts. Mr. Mason: The company had a very favourable settlement. Mr. Coates: What was it? Shall I tell you what they wanted? Between half a million and a million, but what did they get? Mr. Lee: That’s what we want to know. Mr. Coates said that no compensation whatever had been made, but an agreement had been made as to working costs. The Government would stand or fall by its hydro-electric policy.