ARAPUNI ALLEGATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 20010, 30 October 1928, Page 3

ARAPUNI ALLEGATIONS

MB STEWART ON THE HOLMES SCARE A QUARREL ABOUT A QUARRY 51 IN ISTEUS BOMBARDED WITH THREATS. lu bis address Just night, the Hon. W. D. Stewart made brief reference to the allegations in the North Island with regard to the safety of the Arapuni clam. slr Stewart said that lie did nob want to discuss the matter beyond asking the electors to suspend their judgment on the allegations put forward by slr Holmes. He (Mr Stewart) knew enough of the question to assert that there were wheels within wheels in that matter. It had been pointed out_ by the newspapers that it was a curious thing that Mr Holmes should have kept quiet and brought it out at that particular moment. In justice to the Government, slr Stewart wished to say that he know there was a family quarrel between the Holmes father and the Holmes son on the one side, and the Government on tho other. It arose over a quarry site which tho Holmes family took up a-few years ago. A company was formed, and a big siding was put in, and shortly afterwaids the whole of the railway rates wore revised. Among others, the rates on

quarry material were raised, and this had tho effect of seriously injuring tho company or putting it out of business. slr Stewart know these facts, because Mr Holmes bad complained to him very bitterly, and bo (Mr Stewart) bad pointed out that every quarry in New Zealand was similarly placed. He pointed out that the Railway Department could not make a special rate for slr Holmes, whom he asked to await tho Prime Minister’s return from England, when the matter could be gone into. Until a few months ago the son had been at bis office continually, and bad been writing letters threatening exposure unless his grievance was remedied. Just before slr Stewart left Wellington ho was getting as many as two letters a day, and allegations were made not only against the Government hut against other public bodies, including the Napier Harbour Hoard; and the writer sail that the Napier Harbour Board Commission had a grievance against him. When Mr Stewart pointed out that the Commission was presided ovor-by one of the best magistrates in New Zealand lie said that the magistrate also had a grievance against him. The only opinion ho (Mr Stewart) could form was that the son, at any rate, who had a good war record, was seriously ill. How far the father was drawn into the quarrel he did not know, but ho said that slr Furkcrt, the leading Government engineer, was a man of distinction, and he hoped electors would withhold their judgment till further light was thrown on the allegations. Only a week before Mr Stewart left Wellington Mr Holmes, jun., wrote and said that unless his grievances were remedied lie was going to publish some spectacular articles about Arapuni. Mr Stewart was given till October 20 to reply. Apparently, added slr Stewart, the Minister of Health (slr Young) had received a similar letter, only he was given till the 27th. Anyone who had had experience of politics would know' that when a man had a grievance, whether well-founded or not, anything ho said in that connection had to he taken with considerable reserve until the'whole facts had been disclosed. FOUNDATIONS SECURE “ GROUCH AGAINST GOVERNMENT " [Ter Exited Tress Association.] AUCKLAND, October 29. Referring to Arapuni. and the allegations by str R. W. Holmes, formerly chief engineer of Public Works, concerning tho safety of the dam, Mr Coates, speaking here to-night, said that the tactics of some of those opposed to the Government were not altogether fair. Ho referred to the allegations because some people _ might believe they had some foundation in fact. It was perfectly clear that somebody with a grouch tho Government and tho Public Works Department thought that by launching a canard lie could frighten the people in the Waikato and make them think that Arapuni would he tumbling about their cars in the morning. He then read telegrams from str F. W. Furkcrt, en-gineer-in-chief of tho Public Works, Mr James Marchbanks, engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board, Dr Henderson, director of geological survey, and Dr sfars!ini! to show that there was no ground for the allegations. Dr Henderson, in his message, said: “str Holmes is not very definite as to what is the cause of the collapse at Arapuni. While he was enginccr-in-chiof ho suggested that the Waikato had cut a gorge along an earthquake fracture, flume is no geological evidence to support this supposition. The tunnel beneath the river before it was diverted positively proved that there were no earthquake rents at the dam site. The earthquake risk at Arapuni is no greater than in other parts of , New Zealand outside the Rotor na-Tanpo zone. The dam is of the gravity arch type, and is heavy enough to resist water pressure without support from the sides; and it can collapse only after extensive undermining of the foundation. The rock is strong and insoluble. Bores into it bottomed in similar rock, and I do not believe that extensive undermining can take place, t inspected the foundations while tho dam was being built, and T have tho same opinion —that the site is suitable—as I expressed when I signed the report of the Commission with Messrs Morton, Marchbanks, and Furkcrt.” Tho messages from Messrs rurkert and Marchbanks and Dr Marshall were also to the effect that the dam foundations were absolutely secure.