OTIRA TUNNEL.

Grey River Argus, 27 November 1920, Page 3

OTIRA TUNNEL.

DELAYED BY CEMENT SHORTAGE

REPORT ON OPERATIONS, -i CHRISTCHUKCH, November 26. Mr. P. : R..' l Clime, Grganisor ■ for the Qanterbirfy Progress Leagxie returned last night from a visit to the Otira Tunnel -.works. -He found thai? the failure to keep up normal supplies of cement wa's retarding the progress ot the work of lining the tunnel 4 to a very marked and serious ■ extent, i wos estimated that approximately 50 tons of' cement were required :■ ■•■•each' week ; to keep the' three- shifts at ouch end of the tunnel f ully employed, $md work which normally followed <closo.ly behind the top -headings and which! could not be delayed owing io the danger of roof, and walls falling in. During the past seven months, how. ever, cement supplies hsid only averaged '20 tons •••per week or 60 per cent, below requirements;-* •• This had ie* suited -in meir at times; having to be placed on" other*. -work, such, as draining up, -which ordinarily would have been Jeft over till the completion or lining,, when it_ could be done ' much" more expe.ditiously and at oonaide :ahly less cost to the Department. There ; i* another thii'ty-three chains' of "lining to-be done--in. order -'to complete" 1 the tunned,- which 'itrider normal conditionswould take eightr -months. „-.■. If „. the shortage continues -■ 0n ... -the • basis of the '-last-, seven months it is calculated that-it ■ will requir.e fully twenty months in order to do this eight months work. '" - ■ . In view of this serious 1 ' loss to the country and retardation o; the 1 completion bf : the'" tunnel'T-'Mr:. CHmie-' suggests that! the fl(uestiorr" ; of importing ' '.cement • from '• Au'stralisi should 1 be>- seriously^considered^ty -the Government, v ....:... • '. .• ! Mr. Olimie estimates that on a conservative basis an additional half