ARAPUNI.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20103, 5 December 1930, Page 4

ARAPUNI.

GOVERNMENT'S INACTION. COMMENT BY MR COATES. j . i (press association telegram.) AUCKLAND, December 4. The Leader of tho Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, in a speech at Whangarei to-night, said he was curious at the apathy of the public concerning the peculiar attitude of ithe Government to the Arapuni project. The. Government's action or inaction surely called for some very clear declaration on their part. Tho delay might be a result of political prejudice, lor all must remember that eers tain members of Parliament and others, too, used the occurrence at Arapuni as a political weapon, and their castigations were levelled against tho previous administration and himself in particular. Sinco June there had been a minute enquiry into all phases of the possible causes, hoth geological mid engineering. Professor Hornell's opinion wa.s sufficient to confound not only the political -critics but also some of the engineering critics and, further, it clearly showed tho economic advantages of the scheme. Mr Coates said ho believed if the Public Works' Engineers had been instructed to proceed with repairs soon after the stoppage, Arapuni would long ago have been sending out thousands of kilowatts of energy at less cost to the users than tho present charges, And ultimately at a cost incomparable Vith any other source of supply. "No one can say that the-re has not been tiresome delay, and it is hisch time that tho question was settled," said Mr Coates. "The Government must be frank and I am sure the miblic would interested to learn tho views of the .Department."