WORK ON TUNNEL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22620, 24 April 1948, Page 6

WORK ON TUNNEL

DELAY EXPLAINED CLAPHAM’S EVIDENCE OVERSEAS WAR SERVICE (P.A.) HAMILTON. April 23. For the past year progress on the diversion lunncl at Maraetat. which must lie pierced before the new dam can be built there,, has been at the rate of 50ft. a month, the tunnel being one of tbe wettest ever encountered on a public works job in New Zealand. If the tunneilers on the project had been working on a rosier system over seven days a week instead of a straight five-day week, the progress might have been improved by another 20ft. & month, shortening the time required to complete the diversion tunnel by as much as six months. This was brought out this morning when the Mangakino tribunal resumed ils sittings. “Insufficient Tools” Patrick George Gavin, chairman of the Mangakino branch of the New Zealand Workers' Union, was cross-exa-mined by Mr. ,J. F. Engel, tor the Works Department, concerning the refusal by the branch last year to accept a pro posal from the Minister of Works for a rosier system to maintain tunnelling activity for seven days a week. Gavin and earlier witnesses who had discussed, the matter said the union's refusal to accept the roster proposal was on the ground that as there were allegedly insufficient fools on the job for a five da.v week, it would not be worthwhile to attempt operations on a seven da.v basis. Gavin agreed with Mr. Engel that the roster system might have shortened the job by up to six months, but said 'that in his opinion more than 20ft a month could have been gained within the five-day week if different methods of tunnelling had been used. Mr Engel: I cannot see that these new methods have been brought forward at anv time. When Mr. Engel mentioned that the Maraetai scheme on completion is likely to yield a revenue of £4OOO a day, witness said he agreed that every day which could be saved on the job was important to the nation. He ac knowledged that competent engineers who had inspected the job had been unable to suggest alternative tunnelling methods, but engineers were not infallible. Mr. Fraser Satisfied Mr. Engel mentioned to witness that on one occasion he had been told by the Prime Minister that Mr. Fraser considered the relations between the workers and engineers at Karapiro had been the best Mr. Fraser had ever known. Witness said he did not doubt thai the Prime Minister had told tunneilers at Maraetai that if these same Harmonious relations could be maintained at Maraetai, the tunnel there could be completed in record time. Another fact mentioned by Mr. Engel was that at one stage 4000 tons of hot bitumen had been pumped into the tunnel to counteract the seepage. Mr. Engel: Is it the time you resigned from the Labour Party when a recent meeting of the members of the Mangakino branch decided to ban Communist Party literature completely? Witness: No. In the first place the Labour Party meeting did not ban Communist literature. They placed a ban on buying it, but there was nothing wrong with reading the “People’s Voice" or the “Mangakino Spark”. Mr Engel: Was it not unanimously decided to boycott the “Spark"? Witness: Only so far as buying it was concerned. They were concerned with the pennies or twopences going into the funds of the Communist. Party. Witness said he had resigned from tlie Mangakino branch of the Labour Party, but he had not. resigned from the party. He had now joined the Roskill branch. His belief in the Labour Party had not been influenced by the foolish decision of its Mangakino branch —so foolish that action was taken for it to bo rescinded. “A Lot of Navvy Language” Mr. Engel: i understand you put the issue before the meeting as one between Clapham and the Tory engineers. Witness: I may have done. I think it was a fair way of putting the proposition. A lot of “navvy language" is used on occasions like that. I am not a polished orator myself. Mr. Engel: Have you found the rcsi dent engineer Clark a fair, reasonable and considerate man? Witness: Very much so. He is one of the fairest and most reasonable rnen I have met To Mr. C. Hair, for Clapham, witness said he knew of no approach to the executive after the strike ballot had been taken for another test of opinion on the matter. It was a local rule that a special meeting could be called for if a requisition were signed by 20 members. Soon after the strike started an attempt was made to get 20 signatures, but apparently it failed for no approach was made to the executive. Mr. Engel: Isn’t it a fact that 20 rnen did approach the secretary (Clapham) but that he refused to listen to them. Witness: Not to my knowledge. Donald Hugh Ross, who admitted having “quite a lot to do” with the "Mangakino spark.” said he had known Clapham since they met on a boat going overseas, but had never known Clapham advocate any disruptive ideas. Clapham was concerned with ideas of the advancement of the job. To Mr. Engel, witness said he was a member of the Mangakino branch of the Communist Party. Took No Fart In Brawl and Fracas Leonard Vernon Clapham, beginning his evidence, said he took no part in the brawls and fracas which occurred some years ago at a public works camp where he then was. On the contrary. he was a member of the committee set up to discipline those taking part in the disorders. Clapham. discussing events in Fiji when he was there as a member of a civil construction unit, said there was a great deal of objection and distrust among members of the unit when they were asked to bear arms. Witness, however, took the view that as they were supporting the war effort and had volunteered to build the aerodrome for the defence of New Zealand and Australia, it was logical that they should bear arms if required. To allay the men's fears that by attestation they would commit themselves to indefinite service in the Army and give ".hem the protection they sought (he welfare committee prepared a series of proposals for embodiment in an agreement between the Govern ment and the men. Even this did not satisfy all of the men. who were very distrustful but the action taken by the committee did reassure many of them and result in ‘.heir voluntary acceptance of the proposal to bear arms. There had been a reference in earlier evidence to American criticism of members of the unit, but witness said the Americans had later congratulated it on constructing the runways in record time. Clapham said his services after joining tlie Army included commando work in the Islands and later he was wounded during the Italian campaign. Conversation With Mr. Semple Witness said that when the Minister of Works Visited Mangakino last year they had a discussion. Mr. Semple telling witness what lie thought the Communists were doing in Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria and elsewhere. “When he had run himself out t proceeded to tell Mr. Semple my version of the Communist Party policy in those countries and we finally agreed to differ on political grounds. “I told him that lie was an old man and I did not expect to be able to change his mind, but l assured him (hat whatever he thought of it, our party's policy was constructive. "The Minister told me that if any trouble occurred on the job, he would personally see that 'I went down the road' Witness had replied that it would be very unfair to take it for granted that if trouble occurred he would be responsible. Witness said when he was later