ARAPUNI DAM

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 October 1928, Page 5

ARAPUNI DAM

ITS ALLEGED INSECURITY. HON. J. A. YOUNG’S REVELATION. LETTER FROM MR. J. D. HOLMES. (By Telegraph—Prosa Association.) HAMILTON, Oct. 29. In connection with the sensational statement by Mr D. W. Holmes, former engineer-in-chief' of the Public Works Department, regaling the alleged insecurity' of the Arapuni dam, the lion. J. A. Young, Minister of Health, to-day' made a surprising revelation in an interview. .Mr Young said he had received a letter from Mr .T. D. Holmes, a son of Mr R. W. Holmes, threatening the publication of this Arapuni document unless a certain request in relation to a gravel business at Otorohaiiga. was granted by the Government. After reciting the alleged grievance regarding the gravel contract, Mr J. D. Holmes wrote: “Wo have always supported 'the Reform Party and we have no wish to do anything, to damage, that party, particularly before the coming election, but the facts about Arapuni will have to come out sooner or later. “Enclosed is a statement about Arapuni by' Mr R. W. Holmes. We aTe reluctantly compelled to state that unless we receive a telegram or other notifica+ion by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 24, 1928, from the Government that our

requests will be acceded to, this statement will be made public, with all correspondence regarding the matter.” Mr Young, replied by telegram that the matter was entirely between Mr Holmes and the Prime Minister. Mr Young informed the interviewer he had intended to take no part in the matter, but in view of the local alarm likely to arise from the publication of Mr R. W. Holmes’s statement he felt constrained to publish the letter received.

GRIEVANCE WITH GOVERNMENT. LETTERS THREATEN DISCLOSURE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF ■FINANCE. DUNEDIN, Oct. 29. The Arapuni 'dam sensation Was made the subject of reference at Ivaikorai this evening. In asking the electors to suspend judgment on. the allegations made by Mr'Holmes with regard to the dam, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Minister of Finance, said he knew for a fact that there were wheels within wheels in the ease. It was a strange thing, he thought, that Mr Holmes had kept the matter dark for so long a period and had elected to make his sensational allegations at the present moment. The real cause of the whole business was that there was a quarrel between the Holmes family and the Government, said Mr Stewart. iSome time ago a quarry site had been opened by the Holmes family, who had formed a com' pany to work it. Shortly afterwards, however, the railwav tariff had been revised and as a result the company had suffered severely. . . Mr Holmes had approached Mr Stewart wit h regard to the matter, but had been told that his was not. the only company' that had been affected by ‘the change in the tariff.

'Since -then Mr .Stewart had received letters threatening all sorts of disclosures if the Holmes grievance were not remedied, but it had been found that the writer, Mr Holmes’s son, was suffering from a severe illness. It; was not known, however, to what extent Mr Holmes was ‘in league with his son in the matter.

A short time ago Mr, Stewart had received a. letter from Mr Holmes stating, that, if the long-standing grievance were not remedied he would publish a sensational article with respect to the Arapuni/dam. Letters had also been received making the most broad accusations against the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works' Department, Mr E. W. Furkert, but Mr Furkert’s reputation was sufficiently well known to the electors, 'and Mr iStewar't had no hesitation in asking them to suspend judg'ment until the full 'facts of the matter were investigated.

NO GROUNDS FOR ALLEGATIONS. FOUNDATION'S SECURE. REPORT FROM GEOLOGISTS. AUCKLAND, Get, 29. Referring to the Arapuni dan), and the allegations by Mr R. W. Holmes, •'formerly chief engineer of the Public Works Department, concerning . its 'safety, Mr Coates to-night said the tactics of some of those opposed to the 'Government were not altogether fair. 'He referred 'to the allegations because 'some people might, believe they had 'some foundation in fact. It was. perfectly clear that somebody with a 'grouch against the 'Government and the Public Works Department thought that by launching the canard he could 'frighten the people in the Waikato and 'make them think Arapuni would be tumbling about their ears in the morning. Mr Coates road telegrams from Messrs F. W. Furke't, Engineer-in-Chief 'of the’ Public Works Department, '.Tames Marehbanks, engineer to the '•Wellington Harbour Board, Dr. 'Henderson, Director of 'Geological 'Survey, and Dr Marshall to show there 'was no 'ground for the allegations. Dr. 'Henderson, in his message, said: “Mr. '•Holmes is not 'very definite as to what is to cause the collapse at Arapuni. While he was engincer-in-chief he suggested the Waikato had cut a gorge along >an earthquake fracture. There 'is no geological evidence to support this supposition. The tunnel beneath the, river before it was diverted positively proved 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 'Rotorua and Taupo zone. • - “The dam 'is of the gravity arch 'type, heavy enough to resist water pressure without support -from the Side's, 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 extensive underinining can ‘take place. I inspected the foundations while the dam was being built and I have the same opinion that the site is suitable as I expressed 'wlieti I signed the report of the commission with Messrs Morton, Marchbanks and Furkert. ’ ’ .

The messages from Messrs Furkert, Marehbanks and Dr. Marshall were also

to the .effect that the dam foundations ■were absolutely secure. • ' ■ MR. HOLMES’S ALLEGATIONS. REPLY BY CHIEF ENGINEER. TANKATUA, Oct. YB. An alairmiSit' statement :as Ito Hie safety' of the Arapuni dam. is being-cir-culated through 'certain newspapers in the name of Mr R. W. Holihes, formerly chief engineer of .the -Public Works Department. ' . ' The general argument is that through instability of 'the country, -the' existence of cracks in the formation, the possibility of soft strata existing beneath the dam and; the danger of earthquakes disturbing the site, the .existence of the dam creates a grave danger of a Calamity oeeuring in the Waikato Valiev through: the structure collapsing. ‘

“The Government ha's gambled, ’’ the statement concludes, “with, the 'lives of the people of the low-lying country 'below the dam and with the-best part of £2,000,000 of the people’s money in as hazardous a venture as betting on a horse Tace. As fair ag T can see the only thing to do is to empty the reservoir and abandon-the dam in order that, the low-lying country. may .be freed from the menace from failure of the works.”

Referring to the matter to-day, Mr F. W. Furkert, engineer-in-chief of 'Public Works, who is travelling with the Auckland commerce train, said there was absolutely no foundation in fact for the allegations made by Mr Holmes. ‘

“The statements made by- Mr Holmes are evidently based on his recollections of years ago,” Mr Furkert said. ■TThey '■lindiea'te that. he has forgotten • the facts.. The 'Government, did not gamble with the lives- of the people; it took, every precaution. The events since have proved that the original investigations" by" the" engineers appointed for the purpose gave an absolutely true index of the material on the site of the works. Nothing has been disclosed that indicates any necessity for alarm. The statements can only be characterised i as fantastic and absurd.”