FULL INQUIRY WANTED

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12323, 18 December 1925, Page 7

FULL INQUIRY WANTED

COUNCILLORS DEMAND INVESTIGATION OF TUNNEL MUDDLE "A HAPPY-GO-LUCKY JOB” MAYOR ADMITS COST TO BE ALREADY TWENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND Though City Councillors admitted that in default of full information they were not in a position to discuss the Northland tunnel mistakes, they spent a full hour on the subject last evening.. Amidst the many views presented as each councillor spoke, it was plain that an inquiry into the history of the ill-fated tunnel would meet with general approval. Such a proposal was made by the Mayor (Mr C. B. Norwood) and carried unanimously. The city solicitor, who reported on the tunnel, revealed some startling facts, and the Council determined to strengthen the work.

Mr O'Shea stated that in reply to an application for an Order-in-Council he had received a letter from the En-gineer-in-Chief, and later reports of the city engineer and Mr Aked had been secured. From this it appeared: That the tunnel was originally started in a wrong direction. When this was discovered an attempt was made to get the tunnel back to the right line. An unequal weight was put on the top of the tunnel at the Raroa road end, and these facts, particularly the unequal weight, caused cracks to arise in the -tunnel, but so far as these causes of damage are concerned no further danger appeared likely to ensue. The main trouble arose from the fact that templates, or centres, as originally constructed, were not constructed according to design. This Was reported by the city engineer on April 23rd last,. This affects about 133 feet of the tunnel from the Raroa road end. The balance of tlie tunnel was'constructed according to dessgn and was satisfactory. NOT SATISFIED The city engineers were not satisfied with the stability of the tunnel, but he thought that it can be remedied. The conclusions arrived at, set out in Mr Aked’s report of December Bth, approved by the city engineer and arrived at between Mr Aked and the Publio Works Department, were, he thought, justified from all that he could ascertain of the position. These conclusions were as follow: “The deviation from the design by the faulty construction of the arch ring in a portion of the tunnel had annihilated the usual allowances made for unknown quantities of loading. The safety or otherwise of the arch ring is now problematical.” “It is essential that the tunnel arch be strengthened for the full length of the incorrect portion before being used by the public.” “(The strengthening to consist of an additional lining of routed ooncrete, haring a minimum thickness of eight inches. This lining to be reinforced with three-quarter inch diameter mild Steel round bars running continuously from base up walls and round arch. Every care must be taken to ensure that new lining adheres to the existing arch.”

WOULD BE SAFE He had discussed the position unofficially with Mr Furkert, said Mr O’Shea, and ascertained that all the facts were well known to him, and he contemplates some safety work on the lines suggested. He'gathered from Mr Furkert that if the proposed works were carried out the tunnel would be safe. He could see no other way of overcoming the difficulty fn a' manner satisfactory to the council. .Mr Furkert intimated that the Public Works Department might allow the corporation to ran trams at our own risk, but in view of the conclusions of the city engineer and their engineer, which were arrived at independently, he could not recamend such a course. After discussing the matter with the engineer, and considering their state ments, he was of opinion that the real defect arose from the failure to observe and conform to the original design. There is a minor defect, in that timbering might-have been left in in certain places.. ■ This would reduce the thickness of the existing concrete. This defect, if existing, would, he understood, he covered by the proposed lin-\ ing.

The question for the council to consider was whether it would adopt the proposals put forward by the engineer of the Public Works Department and the city engineers. The coat was not stated, but Mr Furkert hinted that it would he slightly over £SOOO. TWENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND The total cost of the tunnel to date, including all material and labour, was £12,993, stated the Mayor (Mr O. J. B. Norwood) in uttering complaint at. misleading information going abroad.' Street works and property reservations amounted to .£15,515, making the cost <>f all work in the Northland area £28,608. The engineer’s estimate for lining the first 60 feet of the tunnel was £3OOO, . not £SOOO, ns stated in the cite solicitor’s report. He could not find that any fixed estimate had been given by the city engineer for the tunnel as it now stood. 'Hie original report on which the estimates were based provided for a tunnel of 130 feet and this had been altered oy authority of the council' to the present tunnel which was 295 feet. After investigation he was satisfied that if a tunnel was. necessary, the location of the present tunnel was superior to the one originally recommended. ’Bures had not been in the minds of the people when these recommendations were made, and the ultimate object was to connect the tramway round the hill through to Wadestown. The original location would have made it impossible' for Northland people to travel to Lambtpn Quay without a very expensive connection link, whereas the present position gave better grades ana made it possible for cars to he run to Raroa road; Aro street and Lamhton Quay at will. BEGUN TOO EARLY He thought that the real trouble had been that the tunnel was commenced long before its time, and the service which it would give in the initial years would not warrant the expenditure. However, as it stood, it meant that it would be obviously cheaper to connect the tram to Northland, as the suburb could be served without any material increase in the department’s rolling stock. It was admitted that there wns a mistake m the construction of the tnnnel, but the design and specifications were in harmony with the best principles of construction and were approved by

the Publio Works. The fault which now was troubling them had occurred through a lack of proper supervision on the part of the officer in charge of the work of construction. The carpenter employed under this officer was a man of reputation: hut was not in normal health and died some time after the work started. Immediately the error was discovered the arch design was recast to the plans, and no fault could he found with the tunnel from then on. The degree of error in the arches was exaggerated by the treacherous ground which, because of rain and other causes, exerted an uneven pressure on one aide of the tunnel. The Public Works Department did not think the position serious enough to withhold authority for the Order-in-Council. The matter- was discussed with, the officers of the Public Works Department more with a view to mutual help and how to remove any possibility of future trouble, than to obtain an Order-in-Council. WALL NOT INCLUDED Councillor H. D. Bennett said that while admitting It had been a most troublesome subject, he pointed out that the big concrete' wall leading to the about £sooo—was not included in the original, estimate. Councillor R. A. Wright: Why not? It was part and parcel of the scheme. Councillor Bennett: Yes, but things were altered. Councillor Wright considered that an Order-in-Council should have been secured before the work was commenced. That was not done.

The Mayor: Whose fault was thatP Councillor Wright: The fault of the cite engineer. Councillor A. L. Monteith: I asked yon to assist us when yon were Mayor. In continuing. Councillor Wnght reid in order to have the matter cleared up there should be a full .inquiry into the whole situation. (Hear, hear.) An estimate had been given as to the work. “IN YOUR TIME” The Mayor: After the extension was made? Councillor Wright: I don’t know about that. • The Mayor: It was in your time as Mayor. . Councillor Wright: Well, let us investigate and get the evidence, for I knew;nothing of it. The Mayor said the fact that the tunnel, was there was the fault of the council, and nobody else, and it was not fair to blame the experts for it. Councillor McKeen classed the tunnel as “the latest blunder of the City Council,” and claimed that the council was spending money like water and getting no result. He_ had understood that it was originally intended to have an Order-in-Council secured on the commencement of the work, and that the work would be executed under the supervision of the Public Works Department. Councillor Semple’s statements in respect to the. insecurity of the tunnel had been justified. “Whose fault is this?” asked Councillor Huggins. “The Mayor says the council is to blame.”

The Mayor: 'No; I say that the tunnel was built to the very latest designs and methods. Councillor Huggins: But surely these faults can be located. Our own engineers are not satisfied. The Mayor: I understand our engineers have been quite satisfied; “A HAPPY-GO-LUCKY JOB” Councillor G. A. Troup said this vvas merely one work of the council which emphasised tbo necessity for more supervision. The faults were enumerated, but no suggestion was made as to who was to blame. Even if mistakes had been committed there should have been someone to check the effect of the mistake before it was allowed to proceed too far. “It has been a happy-go-lucky job,” he said, “which the carpenter was allowed to control.” The Mayor: I am not blaming the carpenter. There was someone in charge of the job. Councillor Troup: This report blames the workmen —that is the unfortunate position. The result of these mistakes is that you havo a .lopsided, cockeyed tunnel—the worst example of tunnelling I have ever seen. The whole matter is clearly one for inquiry.. The Mayor stated that all the money so far paid on the tunnel had come -from the tramways department. Councillor Troup, continuing, said repairs might possibly cost more than the original cost of the work. “My advice is,” he said, “is to leave the work as it is. Don’t do anything more ft) it. Don’t ran your trams through it, but run your 'buses around, and they will give you the best service of all.” “NOT PLAYING THE GAME” Coiicillor A. L, Monteitli said it was not playing the game for a staff of enginoers to place the blame on the carpenter. The Mayor: That is not inferred. Councillor Monteith: Then why bring in the carpenterP TTie Mayor: The evidence was there. Councillor Monteith: The carpenter was not paid for tlie supervision. The Mayor said he did not object to an inquiry, hut lie wished it to he an independent one. “I want to see how far the council was to blame,” he said. “The original price was £SO per foot, but it works out at less—it is £12,000 odd instead of £14,000. And you have also tlie fact that instead of 130 feet we have 295 feet.” , Councillor M. F. Luckie said the tunnel was commenced as a road work job, arid it was not at the time within the jurisdiction of the tramway department to apply for an Order-in-Council to ran trams through. It was originally intended to be a part of the rend to Northland. The Mayor moved that an inquiry be made,, the personnel of the commission

to he arranged by the finance committee. Councillor Luckie seconded. Councillor J. Aston said if tenders had been called in accordance with the original plans, trams would now be running through the tunnel. He advocated a great deal more public work being done under contract by proficent men. Councillor W. H. Bennett approved the proposed inquiry, while Councillor J. Burns, pondering on how the responsibility for the creation of the tunnel was divided between the works committee and the tramways ’ committee was interrupted by the Mayor’s short: ... “Well, we’re going to have an inquiry anyway.” With the six-inch lining there would stiTl be room for a double line of tramway rails, stated Mr Norwood. The council affirmed its desire for p r investigation, and decided to adopt the recommendations of the Public Works Department for strengthening the tunnel. Councillor Troup made the suggestion that Mr William Ferguson might be esked to set up the inquiry board.