MANGAHAO SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 124, 26 May 1920, Page 7

MANGAHAO SCHEME

PARLIAMENTARY VISIT CONDITIONS IMPROVED ■ SURVEY OF WORK IN PROGRESS. The site of the Mangahao hydroelectric works was visited yesterday by ii party of members of Parliament, who wished to see the raw material of the power-scheme, and the progress so far made with the preparatory work. The visit was instigated by Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., whose interest and activity in the matter is well know.ii, and he was an indefatigable guide. The members . of Parliament present were: — Messrs. G. Hunter (Waipawa), R. V. Smith (Waimarinp), A. D. .M'Nichol (Pahiatua), A. D. M'Leod (Wairarupa), J. A. Nash (Palmerston .North), W. H..Field (Otaki), .T. P. Luke (Wellington North), R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), and G. Mitchell. (Wellington South). Amongst .others iii the party was Mr. R. H. Crabb, of Palmerston North. Mr. Il'. W. Fiirkert, Assistant-Engineer of the Public Works Department, and Mr. A. ! Dimiie, the Department's constructional engineer on the works, accompanied the visitors, and were most courteous and helpful in explaining' the nature of the project and the work In progress. On leaving the tram at Shannon, theparty went in motor-cars up a valley i eastward of the township, and into a i windiii? gorge, which leads to the Tokoma m Valley. They were made aware, very' qtiicldy of one great task ahead of tlie engineers, and were being vigorously ■ tackled. That is the conversion of the i ! ii arrow bush vns.A into a route capable of carvyiiiG heavy traffic. Several miles of existing road need this conversion, j j and there are a few miles of new road to i be made along the untouched slopes. From the opeir valley onwards, the journey was a rough experience, and some i of the cars were the worse for it. I Several of the party had been over the ground not long before, and they were able to point, out' the results of recent i work. 'First -and most important, because it is essential to- the rest, was the road N improvement. It is still far from completed, but the .way in r.o ionger ;i ; mere track. The most awkward corners 'and some of them are very bad) have been enaetl ; narrow places' have been j widened, and single-file 'traffic cm get j along fairly well. But the road is nowhere wide enough for vehicles to pass /one another unless one of them pulls aside at the infrequent "turnouts." Ulti- | mutely, of course, a great quantity of I material will have to be hauled over this j road, and the big expenditure necessary ■ to construct it and make it safe and \ convenient will justify itself." PROGRESS OF THE WORKS. The power is to be obtained by damming the waters of the Mangahao River in a big reservoir, conveying them through a tunnel into another reservoir in the basin of the Tokomaru, and carrying the combined waters through another tunnel to a chamber from which' pipes will lead to the power-house 800 feet lower. The estimated output will be about 24.000 horse-power; and the cost, as estimated by Mr. Parry in 1918, will be abnut £440,000. The principal divisions of the 'vofk to be done arc dams in the Mangahao and Tokomaru- Valleys, | each. 90 feet high; a mile of tunnel W i connect the two reservoirs thus formed'; a mile and a-quarter of tunnel from the Tokomaru dam to the pipe line to tho power-house, and the power-house itj self. A start has been made with excavations at the site of the Tokomaru dam, to clear the rock-faces on which the concrete dam will abut, and to provide a dumping place for the spoil. The tunnelling has not yet started; but at the entrance to the valley in which the power-house will be built a Babcock and I Wilcox water-tube boiler is on the i ground. This is to drive a generator plant to supply power for the tunnelling machinery. There are now about 125 men on the works. They live in two main camps, one in the basin of the Tokomavu reservoir, the other high up on the ridge I between it and the Mangahao. The bulk i of the working strength is concentrated ! cm ( road-making; a section is <)t work on the Tokomaru dam site; and there is much activity in building huts and other buildings. A sawmill, capable of a large output, is running in a small clearing m the thick bush, and supplies the necessary timber. About o. month ago, Mr. G. Mitchell presented a vigorously-worded report to the Ceiitral Progress. League, severely criticising the Public Works Department for the slowness of the work at Mangahao, and especially for the failure to provide adequately for the comfort of the men on the works. Ho and others who were'aware of the conditions at that time wore impressed yesterday by the great improvement subsequently made. Scores'.of new tents are in the camps, and where they are grouped among the bush make a pretty picture. The tents have sawn-timber floors and framework, ?.nd each has a. fireplace and a galvanised chimney, so that tho discomfort of wetness in a locality which has a frequent rainfall is much reduced. The ordinary drawbacks of a bush camp are further reduced by the service? of a much-praised V.M.C.A. hut, where goods are sold ,011 the co-operative system.

Comment on the present state, of the camp took the form that there is a jrreat change in the spirit of the place. The men are more numerous, and are far more contented. A few weeks ago a, large number of the workers left, but many of them are now returning. Good wages are . made. Practically all the work is being done, by contract on the well-known . co-operative system. The only day labour is in work where contracting is impossible. A recent calculation shows that the average earnings of the men on piecework ds 18s <i day, which is 4s 6d 'more than is paid for day-labour. WHEN AND HOW MUCH? Following upon the visit to Mangahao, which arms the members w.itlh some knowledge of the work and the conditions, a deputation of members of Parliament is to wait upon the Minister for Public Works to-morrow. It will ask Mi\ Coates to state how the power will be allocated' to the various areas which require, it; and when the power will'be available. Xo information on these points was available yesterday, beyond a rough' sstimatfe that power might be available iii four years from now. No power can be supplied, till the dams and tunnels ?.re finished; and when that is done the full strength of the rivers- gan be used at one© if the power-house is completed. There is plenty'of time to complete the machinery installation within that period, so that it is reasonable to suppose that the full 24,000 horse-power will be realised in one instalment. ' .