A BIG UNDERTAKING ,

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1920, Page 3

A BIG UNDERTAKING ,

SEMPLE AND CO S. CONTRACT WELLINGTON RATEPAYERS FINAL MEETING. MAYOR'S REMARKS. (Special to "Argus.") WELLINGTON, September 11.— Next Wednesday a poll of ratepayers takes place here in regard to the Orongorongo tunnel proposal to bring in water for the city supply. The idea is for Mr R. Semplo and a • member of other experienced tunnellcrs to undertake a co-operative contract to pierce *Hie tunnel at £6 14s P-d per foot. The party hope to do the work in two years. If tlie poll carries the proposal^ then a number of West Coast miners will bo soon leaving the Coast to begin on the job. At a final meeting of ratepayers hero to discuss the matter, Mr J. P. Luke, tho Mayor, said he wished to discuss tho water supply. The Oroagorongo tunnel was necessary to bring tho water of tho Orongorongo River n to the Wainui basin, and so to the Karori reservoir. The council was bound to go on with the work, provided the ratepayers approved of the loan. An offer was received from experienced miners to pierce the tunnel, and the council was convinced that the arrangement made with those men was satisfactory. A committee was set up, which, after consultation with the men, reduced the original price of £G 14s Ocl per foot. Others might have contracted at £5 per foot, but there would have been no guarantee that they would bo able to do the work. Mr Luke read a letter which had boon put in by the City" j Engineer, in which he said that the original price asked by the men was extremely high; ho was of opinion I that' the price Avas still high, but taking into consideration the uxgoucy of the work it might be carried out satisfactorily. The estimate for the whole work was £80,000. , Tho committee was successful in reducing the price per foot from £7 10s to £6 14s D(J., and he thought that they had made the best arrangement possible under the abnormal conditions prevailing. The council was absolutely certain that it had the right sort of men to carry out the work. An ±910 Mr Morton had reported that the old 30-inch main would suffice for a population of 150,000 people based on a call of 50 gallons per head per day, but it had been found that the consumption was 75 gallons per .head. The. only alternative was jto go in for a motor system, which the . Mayor did not think the public wanted. The co-operative party had to be responsible for the carrying out' of the whole of the now work proposed". If they could do the work in two years they would make very good money; if in thro.o years very fair money. In view of the nature of tho work they deserved to make good money.