HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17254, 2 September 1919, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

INSPECTION OF HORAHORA.

QUESTION OF MATERIALS.

PROGRESS AT ARAPUNI: [BT TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HAMILTON, Monday. Following the recent hydro-electric conference in Hamilton, Mr. W. S. Shortt, Under-Secretary for Public Works, and Mr. L. Bi'rKs, chief electrical engineer for the Dominion, paid a brief visit to Te Awamutu on Saturday morning to discuss the proposals for that district and proceeded to Horahora via Matangi, Hautapu, and Cambridge. At Cambridge the visitors had an informal interview with the Mayor, Mr. E. J. Wilkinson, on matters concerning that district, and also conferred with Mr. Richard Reynolds, who is a recognised author itji on New Zealand eucalypti trees, on the prospects of securing sufficient locallygrown poles to fill the immediate needs of transmission lines from Horahora

through this district. Such poles, if available, would be cheaper than imported ones and would enable the work to be proceeded with almost at once.

The whole plant at Horahora was inspected, and special attention was given to the location of transformers, which will have to be imported and erected before power can be given to the Waikato, and for the construction works at Arapuni.

The Arapuni Gorge was visited yesterday and, under the guidance of Mr. Sealey, the engineer-in-charge of the preliminary testing works for the foundations, the party viewed the prospecting operations now in progress on both banks of the river. On the site of the suggested dam one trial shaft, 70ft deep, is now 36ft below the bed of the river, and daring the coming week it is expected that a start will be made to drive the tunnel beneath the stream. When connected -with the shaft on the eastern bank definite conclusions as to the bearing power of the foundations ■will be drawn.