WAITAKI POWER SCHEME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21165, 24 October 1930, Page 9

WAITAKI POWER SCHEME

MR CARR’S TELEGRAM,

ALLEGED TROUBLE IN FOUNDATIONS. MINISTER’S REASSURING REPLY. (From Qua Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 23. A prospective disaster at the Waitaki hydro-electric works comparable to that which had occurred at. Arapuni was envisaged by Mr C. L. Carr (Timaru), when speaking on the third, reading of the Finance Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr .Carr said he had received telegraphic advice ,to-day that trouble was being met with.in the foundations of the Waitaki dam. The material encountered after going down 40 feet was soft and crumbly, and was only an apology for rock. He sincerely hoped the fears now felt would not be fully realised, and that the real condition of things would be found to be not so serious as they were represented to be, but unless the Minister of Public Works could give a reassuring statement the country would be faced with a deplorable state of things. Mr Carr believed that had'the public works engineers been a < little less ambitious and had tackled the Tekapo scheme, instead o£ the Waitaki, power would be available now at very much less cost, and the country would not be faced with an apparent disaster if the statements he bad made were substantiated, as be felt sure they would be. Mr Carr said he was thankful for the Minister’s assurance that a standby plant would be erected, but he would like to know when and where the plant was to be erected. “ These are not mere rumours,” declared Mr Carr. “ They are statements supplied to me. by a qualified surveyor who has been over the ground, and they have been'sent to me with a due sense of responsibility. It is very easy for members to laugh, but those who laugh last may laugh best. At any rate, I was instructed to bring this matter forward some time ago, and I have to-day received a reliable confirmatory" statement by telegram. Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon) asked the Minister to give some information to the House as to the serious position that had been stated to exist at Waitaki for the benefit of members who had not been present . when the member for. Timaru had read out the telegram. He would repeat it. • . The Minister of Public Works (Mr W. B. Taverner): Read out the signature. Mr Sullivan; It is the signature of a well-known South Canterbury surveyor. The matter is one of importance to the people in Canterbury, for they have been asked to pin their faith to* Waitaki as a solution of their troubles.

He plying, Mr Taverner suggested that the clear duty of a member of the House receiving a telegram such as that quoted by Mr Carr, purporting to come from one duly qualified to express an opinion', was to have communicated the intelligence to him. Mr Taverner said he had not tried to conceal any item of hydroelectric information. He thought he deserved better consideration from the Canterbury members than he had rbceived, for he had given a lot of his time recently to matters connected with Canterbury’s electrical supplies. The Minister said there was no fact in his possession, ,oral or written, on the lines indicated by Mr Carr. When anonymous telegrams were received they were placed in the waste, paper basket. Mr Taverner did not suggest that %he telegram Mr Carr had received was anonymous, but the name of the signatory had not been disclosed. Mr Taverner thought he could see a clear connection between this incident and the Waimakariri legislation. Mt Sullivan: What do you i mean?. Be explicit. ’ Mr Taverner said, that only. yesterday he had completed arrangements for installing a standby plant in Canterbury, and immediately the Canterbury members came forward with “ this bogey.” Mr Taverner said That professor Hornell had waited on him for instructions prior to proceeding to Waitaki. He had given the professor no order of reference, but bad told him to make a complete and thorough inspection. The professor on his return had discussed liis investigations, but his report would take some time to prepare. However, it would be published as soon as it was received. Mr Taverner said there was nothing in the conversation he had had with the professor on his return from Waitaki which had left the impression in the, Minister’s mind that, any anxiety was felt about the Waitaki scheme. If such had been mentioned, Mr Taverner said he would disclose the fact. This was not the time to start alarmist rumours. Mr Sullivan: I am told that the two names signed to the telegram referred to by the member for Timaru are two of the most respected residents of South Canterbury.

Mr Taverner said he' did not doubt that.' However,, he contended that the names should be disclosed. 'He suggested that the telegram was open to a somewhat different interpretation. During the evening Mr. Carr intimated that he had communicated with the sender of the telegram, who ‘had replied giving him _ authority to give his name to the Minister. The individual in question was willing to meet the Minister when he was next in the south. Mr Taverner replied that he would be glad to accord Mr Carr’s correspondent an interview as suggested.