CANADIAN AGRICULTURE

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 86, 27 June 1930, Page 5

CANADIAN AGRICULTURE

CONSERVATIVE ATTITUDE TO TRADE TREATIES LEADER URGES IMMEDIATE ABROGATION. Press Association—Copyright. , (Received 9.35 a.m.) 8.C., June 26. A Woodstock message states that, following a declaration that it he were elected h e would abrogate every trade treacly "injurious to the Canadian agricultural ittterest," R. B. Bennett, Conservative Opposition leader, in' a campaign address asserted that the abrogation of the New Zealand treaty comes five years too late. The Conservatives had always opposed the agreement. V.VAVAV.V.V.VAU

wave which, owing to the fact that the powerhouse and penstocq head were rigidly tied might possibly cause such rupture. Against this , s the lack of observation of any such tremor. It is true that the initial movement of the block caused tremors and vibrations of the block, which were observed by a man living in a hut near the penstock dead. These cracks in the powerhouse,, however, do not nuecessarily indicate disturbance of the powerhouse foundations since they consist of a transverse crack of the whole building at a point where its width changes suddenly and cracks round the supports of the heavy generators and turbines (350 tons). The rock surfaces visible indicate no movement of rock masses relative to one another. The whole block, which ha s moved this supporting material, is only just strong enough to withstand the weight of the overlying rock without failure. Further buttressing of the whole block would appear necessary to prevent a recurrence of tie movement and of water from the fore-bay. The geologists are of opinion that there was no undue water percolation from the spillway into the block of rock between the spillway and the gorge and powerhouse previous to the formation of the crack. Thus the initial movement is unlikely to be due to this caase.

Engineering Advice. The Minister added that, realising j tlie magnitude of the issue' at stake j and also the uneasiness which had I arisen in the public mind, the Government decided to obtain the very bestengineering advice that could be obtained, and with that object in view, has been in communication with the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, the president of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and organisations elsewhere in order to select the most suitable man. Until such time as' the report be made by this engineer has been received, I have felt it my duty to advise Cabinet to discontinue any further works at Arapuni. Further investigations will include a survey of the financial position of the scheme and will deal with the economic aspect. Meantime I wish to make the following observations. The amount already invested in the Arapuni scheme, including sub-stations and transmission lines and works in progress, i s £2,500,000. In the previous year before Arapuni came into operation, working charges for the Waikato system amounted to £76,321, and standing charges for interest and depreciation and renewals, were £74,571, or a total of £150,802. For the year ended March 31 last the respective figures were £62,702 afl £195,752, altogether £258,454, so that the difference, amounting to £107,652, represented the additional total opeiation cost of Arapuni for the year. Units sold for the year from the who'o Waikato system were 191,000.000, and the net revenue, after paying* working expenses of £62,702, was £162,981 Tht, average operating capital for the year was £2.649,000, so that the net revenue over and above the working exptnses was G. 15 per cent, on the operating capital. Notwithstanding that plant installed was insufficient to take the whole avi.dable load during the ealicr mouths of t.l'e year, the present install"t d capacity o* Arapuni station is 45,000 k.w. and consists of three units. A I fourth unit is now in process of shipment from England and, had the course of events not been interrupted, would have been instal ed on arrival, thus bringing the total capacity of the Arapuni plant to 60,000 k.w. In a subsequent statement details will be given showing the cost involved in calling into operation the stand-by plants and other stations which were required to take the load when the supply ceased from Arapuni, but it may be remarked that the estimate at present for generating costs at those station,, is at the rate of 2-85,000 per annum, "as against £12,000 for the generating cost had Arapuni continued in commission. Replying to Mr Martin, Mr Taverncr said that he proposed to call a conference of all the power boards concerned to consider the position created by the trouble at Arapuni. I