The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1928. CARTAGE TO WAIPORI.

Evening Star, Issue 19891, 13 June 1928, Page 6

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1928. CARTAGE TO WAIPORI.

Tin: City Council to-niglit will bo called on to make a rather important decision in respect of transport. A great deal of machinery and material has to be taken to the power house, the pipe lino, and the dam site. The time is limited within which the increased generating power must bo installed, assured of an adequate supply of water to operate it. The roads over which cartage will take place vary from moderate to poor; the weather conditions, especially in winter, are usually severe. But no hold up, or oven slackening of speed, because of adverse conditions can bo contemplated if undertakings with power customers are to bo honoured by the due date. It is under these circumstances that the E.R. and L. Committee asks tho council to ratify the purchase of five rigid six-wheel truck chassis and three trailers. Tho estimated cost may be £7,000 to £IU,OOO, and exception has been taken to departure from tho ordinary procedure of letting the cartage by contract, particularly when it involves such an outlay by the corporation. It is urged that tho total amount of such a contract would fall short of tho amount of tho proposed expenditure on vehicles alone. But there appears to be some misconception about the matter. Tenders have been called for, and one will probably be accepted to-night, for the cartage of some 900 tons of machinery and pipes required principally at the power house. Perhaps another 3,000 tons, mostly material, will ho required at tho clam site, and it is for this that tho special motor transport will bo required, and .t wui load most of the material at Lawrence The city engineer is satisfied that there is in the dominion no type of track that could maintain continuous work over this route (or even over tho Gorge road from Berwick) under all-weatlur conditions, and from his point of view it is imperative that there, should bo no hitch in tho receipt of material ;'.t the clam site once tho work has begun, or his part of tho undertaking will not be up to time. Ho has satisfied himself, however, that tho six-whccl track will prove reliable. Tho type is one obtainable only through the British War Office, and its performances are known. His requirements aro not only for cartage from Lawrence, but for similar work about tho dam site, the amount of which it may he difficult to estimate in advance. There are thus two reasons against calling for tenders from recognised carriers. There is a third—viz., that past experience has shown that tho larger firms, who alone would be competent to handle a job of such size, have refrained from tendering for tho Waipori contracts. Their reason has been objection to a clause in tho corporation’s conditions entailing tho making good of damage done to the roads; for adjustment has to be made with tho Tuapeka County Council for tho results of cxexceptionally heavy traffic through its district. One of tho points in favour of the six-wheeled truck is that, principally by reason of its two pairs of driving wheels, instead of one pair, it wreaks far loss destruction to the road surface than the four-wheeled truck. This means less compensation for damage payable by the City Corporation, besides ensuring better road conditions throughout the period of transport. A letter appearing elsewhere in this issue suggests that it would have beeu preferable had the City Corporation formed a road to Waipori to accommodate Hie expected heavy traffic. It is a question of relative expense and of time. It may he cheaper to employ a typo of truck practically independent of properly formed roads; and unquestionably tho time available does not permit of road making at this stage. As to whether there has been a want of foresight, wo do not feci competent to criticise, in view of the radical alteration of plans for the dam which ensued on the change of city engineers. On one essential point the corporation authorities appear to Ire agreed, and that is that no other procedure than the one proposed is feasible at this juncture It is obligatory to honour commercial undertakings for supply of current; and tho sooner the extra revenue can be secured therefrom tho better for the E.p. and L. department’s finances. The capital expenditure to eisure quick transport may prove a sound investment.