HARNESSING WAIKATO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 13

HARNESSING WAIKATO.

THE ARAPUNI WORKS. OVER 150 MEN EMPLOYED. RIVER DIVERSION TUNNEL. . The close of the year finds Sir W. G. Armstrong, W'hitworth and Company em. ploying about 150 workmen on their Arapuni contracts, in addition to 113 carpenters and others under the building subcontractor, Mr. R. Sanders. No. 1 and No. 2 villages at Arapuni now comprise accommodation for 260 single men and over 60 married men. while in the Arapuni permanent village the further houses are now being completed and are being occupied by the company's staff. The company intends gradually augmenting the number of workmen and the accommodation as required. Mr. Sanders is now putting in hand the erection of No. 3 village at the Mako Creek quarry, where some 50 single and 10 married men are to bo housed. Tho barge, for transporting the material up the rive' to the quarry has been built and is being railed to Putaruru, en route for Arapuni. At Arapuni the excavation for tho gigantic river-diversion tunnel has reached solid rock, and three air-compressor drillling machines are being installed to operate on this. Two electric motors of 80 horse-power each and one of 30 horsepower are to he installed on the cliff-top above the tunnel, the concrete foundations for them having been laid. These motors will receive their power from the electric line from Horahora and are for the purpose of compressing the air, which will then be transmitted to the drilling machines below through the pipes. 11l the tunnel, an endless ropeway with trucks atached will bo used for running out the spoil. Another drilling machine .'s also being installed at the powerhouse excavation while others will probably be found necessary to pierco the hard 'rock for the excavations for tho Arapuni dam. Photographs of the Mangahao powerhouse, opened recently, show it to be a very large building. " but the Arapuni powerhouse will bo considerably larger. In the driving of the river-diversion tunnel, two shifts are now being worked. and it is likely that, after the holidays, two shifts will be the rule on practically all tho work, and, if necessary, later, three shifts will be inaugurated. Apropos of transport from Auckland to Putaruru, it. is learned that large consignments of plant, etc, have arrived at Auckland for the Arapuni works, but cannot promptly be despatched by rail owing to shortage of trucks. This does not augur well for the future, when tho volume of traffic for Arapuni is likely to be greater still.

The whole of die Arapuni access road, from the private siding at the Putaruru railway yards to the. dam site at Arapuni has now been takftu over from the Public Works Department by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company. The matter of entertainment for the Arapuni community has not been overlooked, and plans have been completed for a large hall, which the company purposes erecting between tho permanentvillage and the dam site village. This hall will be large enough to seat 400 persons and has been designed for dances, concerts, picture entertainments, etc. While thus considering its workmen the company has. at the same time, taken steps to resolutely suppress anything in the way of excessive drinking or gambling at* the works, and offenders in this respect are immediately dismissed from the company's employ, while outsiders with undesirable intentions are treated as trespassers on any land under the company's jurisdiction. It is hoped in this way to maintain a proper standard of living and conduct at Arapuni.