IS ARAPUNI UNSAFE?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 597, 25 February 1929, Page 1

IS ARAPUNI UNSAFE?

INSPECTION BY MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS REPORT TO CABINET (Front Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, To-day. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. A. E. Ransom, has finished a personal investigation of the structural stability of the Arapuni hydro-elect-ic works, and although he will not disclose his impressions, he is to report to Cabinet shortly. The primary purpose of the Minister’s visit to Arapuni was to investigate the accuracy of allegations niade before the General Elections to tho effect that the works were not safe. In the House during the short postelection session, he promised that he "ould look at the works and decide whether or not the allegations were iounaed upon reasonable grounds. * vlr - Ransom went completely over Y es terday, and was shown by F. W. Furkert. engineer-in-ehief to the department, the places where tne construction was reputed to be unsafe.

His examination led him through ?ome of the galleries near the base of tne dam itself and he was particularly interested in testing the nature of the nraterial in the vicinity of the powerhouse site. On several occasions he Yielded a pick the walls of tho ravine of the original watercourse. -Ir. Ransom also visited the spill*al*s an< * transformer station. _ Mr. Ransom’s only assurance after the works was that he was endeavouring to familiarise himself with the details of the allegations, and then J> ac* his impressions before Cabinet. 80 that the suggestion of a special commission of inquiry could be decided one way or the other.