MANGAKAO WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2044, 21 October 1919, Page 3

MANGAKAO WORKS.

CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT REFUTED BY MINISTER. Wellington, Last Night. Mr Field (Otaki) drew the attention to-night of the Public Works Minister to a statement made by Hr Hillicr, a candidate for the Alanawatu electorate, in Avhicb Ik* staled there Avere only ten men at work at Mangahao, that there avus inadequate hut accommodation at the works, and that 2,000 men had passed through the works. Sir William Fraser expressed the opinion that the statement avus a bigpolitical gooseberry. A member: “This is a plum!” (Laughter).

Sir William Fraser went on to say llmt the electrical engineer had reported to him on the number* of men working at Mangahao for the past live weeks, and. the numbers were as follows; Week ending fith September, 47 men; 43th September, 52 men; 20th September, 43 men; 27th September, 4!) men; fHIli October, 47 men. Mr Wilford: “Only 300 per cent, out!” Sir William Fraser: “The average has been over 40. On October bill, one line day among many wet ones, ten men were working on the Shannon side of the range, and the balance on the Mangahao side, and probably Mr Hillier, therefore, had concluded (here were only ton men working altogether. As to the conditions, it was true the conditions were not ideal, owing, firstly, to the extremely wet weather prevailing during the last six weeks, and secondly to the impossibility of getting across to the huts, partly owing to the wet weather, and partly to the cutting of the railway traffic.’’ The Minister explained that he had cabled for tenders fully six weeks ago, but the prices asked were ridiculous. However, the timber would now be there within a day or .two, and he was getting a mill started in the bush near the district to supply the timber required. So far as the statement that 2,000 men had gone through the works, a nought too many had been added, as less than 200 had actually been along. The statement, generally, in fact, was misleading and incorrect. [ln the course of Ids address on Thursday night, Mr Hillier said that unless slops were taken to speed up the work it would be.many years before the scheme would ho completed. He visited the head works on Wednesday of last week', and found that there were only' ten men at work. The conditions there were decidedly bad, and something should he done to improve them. Since the work was commenced fully 2,000 men had been sent there, but a very large proportion of them only remained a very short time. The men on arrival were given a tent, and told to pitch it in the valley, which was reeking with wet. Many of the men had had no experience of pitching camp, with the result that the living conditions were very had indeed, and the men would not stay, and there was a continual stream of men going to and coming away; from the works. This was wrong and wasteful. The building in which the food was cooked was ten years ago used as a stable, and in front of same there was stable manure and slush knee dee]). Unless something was done to improve mu tiers the scheme would not he completed for many years.]