IS WAITAKI SAFE?

Hawera Star, Volume L, 24 October 1930, Page 5

IS WAITAKI SAFE?

DOUBT CAST ON SCHEME

SURVEYOR’S ALLEGATIONS

MINISTER HAS NO INFORMATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 23. He. had received by telegram rather alarming word from a remote source concerning the progress of the work on the Waitaki hydro-electric scheme, stated Mr. C. Carr (Timaru) in the House of Representatives to-day. The telegram was as follows: “Trouble is icing met with in places at the Waitaki dam. The rock encountered after oing down over 40 feet is a soft crumbling substance which is an apology for rock. To make the dam safe over this :langerou« ground must add enormously tlie cost and the length of time to complete the scheme.” Mr .Carr said he hoped these fears pvould not he realised and that the Minister would be able to give the House a reassuring statement. If he could not they would be faced with a trulv deplorable' condition. He considered that if the Public Works engineers had been less ambitions and tackled the Te Hap© scheme instead :)!'■ the Waitaki they would not he faced with, the present position of things. Mr D. G. Sullivan also referred to he matter. Pressed by members to reveal the signature of Mr. Carr’s telegram Mb’. Sullivan said the message came from a. very well-known South Canterbury surveyor. H© bad been re--u-sed permission by Mr. Carr, however, to reveal the identity of the informant. He said there was 'legislation before the House which would enable Christ-, church and Canterbury to meet its own hffienlt.v and he expressed* the hope that the Minister would be careful in his attitude towards any .proposal put to the House for the supply ojf elecirity for Canterbury. Hon. W. B. Taverner in reply said the correct procedure for a member on receiving such' a- telegram as that referred to by Mr. Carr was to communicate that intelligence to* the Minister concerned. He (Mr. Taverner) had never endeavoured to conceal the I position iii Canterbury or elsewhere and h« had heard no tittle of information hearing out the statement contained in the telegram. A few days ago he had instructed an expert. Pro"ssor Hornell, to go down to Waitaki and report on the hydro-e’iectric scheme, and Professor Hornell hadl returned and had discussed the scheme with Mr, Taverner. They had discussed the cave, drainage height of the dam, height of the gravel and the flow water, etc... but no mention had been made of anything substantiating the statement in Mr, Carr’s telegram. Piofessor Hornell’s report would lye "üblislied as soon as it was available. He did not think it right that the outlie of. South Canterbury- should be unduly alarmed by such statements as those contained in the telegram. Be■,ore Mr. Oar.r could expect him to take any notice of the communication he must disclose the signature* on the telegram. . . Mr. J. McCombs took the Minister • c Public Works to task for the manner.of liis reply to Mr. Carr. He stated that the whole Bouse* knew the Canterbury members had waited on the Minister with regard to a standby electric plant for Christchurch and Canterbury. They' also knew the Mimsv«- had handed his reply to the Press liefore communicating it to the members concerned. All the Canterbury members were indignant at this and Mr. McCombs advised the Minister to consult his bench mate*, the Minister W Education, before he instructed members about procedure between. Mm's tors and themselves.