DEVELOPING ARAPUNI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18019, 18 February 1922, Page 8

DEVELOPING ARAPUNI.

WELLINGTON NEGOTIATIONS.

STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR

The development of the Arapiini hydroelectric scheme, which was the object of the visit of the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, to Wellington, was the subject of some remarks by him on his return to Auckland yesterday. He said his negoti ations with the Minister for Public Works, Hon. J. G. Coates, and Mr Massey, had been of a lengthy character, and had been conducted with the authority of the- City Council, and with the advice of the city electrical engineer. Mr. A. Wyllie, who had been in Wellington on this business.

The Government, said the Mayor, had given serious consideration to the position, and the negotiations were in an advanced state, ihe City Council hoped t 0 have the reply of the Minister to the representations made to him respecting the development of the scheme during next week. Whatever the outcome of these deliberations was, the business could not be made public until it had been placed before the council and passed un to the Power Board, which would take office neit month. It devolved upon the council, said Mr. Gunson, to arrange for the first meeting of the board, and no doubt this would be dona shortly after the election on February 28. The board must necessarily first bo informed of the result of the negotiations by the council. The relative positions of the board and the council had not been overlooked, said Mr. Gunson, and the board's affairs and the interests of the province, he thought, would be advanced by the proposals if they could be successfully concluded, and no effort bad been spared to bring about this result. It wag no easy matter to deal with proposals of this magnitude, involving as they did such heavy annual commitments, but conditions warranted the effort made. Nothing that could be done, from a practical standpoint, had been overlooked during the negotiations, and the council hoped to be able to hand over to the board, with its electricity businessj a secure and adequate position regarding water-power.