Steel Profiles For Maraetai

Northern Advocate, 16 June 1947, Page 4

Steel Profiles For Maraetai

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. His earlier remarks to the effect that the Wanganella dispute and the stoppage of work at Cable’s foundry had seriously delayed important Government contracts were justified, said the Minister of Works (Mr Semple) yesterday.

Six weeks ago he had said the construction of high tension transmission towers for the distribution of power from the Waikato and the fabrication of steel profiles for the tunnel at Mai’aetai were being held up. This statement was later denied by the secretary of the Wellington Engineers’ Union (Mr C. G. Caswell).

Mr Semple, to justify his statements, yesterday quoted from reports he had received from his engineers.

Regarding the contract for the construction of galvanised steel transmission towers the deputy commissioner of works (Mr T. G. Beck) had reported: “In order to fabricate the towers, special machinery is required and efforts to obtain it from abroad in time were unavailing.

"The company decided to manufacture the machines in its workshops and owing to the Wanganella dispute work on this has been brought t«j a standstill, resulting in still further delay in the delivery of the first towers.” PROFILES FOR TUNNEL

Referring to the fabrication of the st.eel profiles for the tunnel Mr .Beck reported that as the result of the Wanganclla dispute the work war. brought to a virtual standstill and only during the last week or two had resumption been possible by special arrangement between the Public Works Department and the company.

The steel profiles were essential to the work and should have been in use on the job five weeks ago. The engineer in charge of the job, Mr J. T. Gilkinson, had ..also emphasised that delay in the arrival of the profiles had held up the work. Mr Semple added that Mr Caswell had stated that he had received a letter from the men working on the Maraetai job stating that there had been r.o shortage of steel profiles used in tunnelling. Mr Caswell had obviously been misinformed, said the Minister. further evidence As further evidence of this he would quote Mr Hawthorn, the head man at the tunnel, who, in a telephone conversation with the Minister, had confirmed that if much more of the ground in the tunnel were excavated the water might overwhelm the pumps. It was necessary to have the profiles at the earliest possible date.

They were not far from the point where they would have to cease work if the profiles did not arrive on the job.