PAYMENT OF EXPERTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1931, Page 6

PAYMENT OF EXPERTS.

There will be few who will criticise the Ministry for its refusal to engage Professor Hornell, the eminent Swedish, hydro-engineer, for a report upon the Waitaki hydro-electric works now in process of construction. The decision to engage the highest known authority to advise the Government in regard to the problems which arose at the/Arapuni generating station was generally approved. The difficulties were of a nature that experience of other countries gave little help in solving, and it was necessary for the sake of renewing public confidence that.expert opinion beyond ail question should be obtained. For .that opinion Professor Hornell’s fee was £4600, and if it has prevented the scrapping of the Arapuni works or confirmed the opinions of local engineers that they can successfully overcome the problems developed there, the fee is by no means excessive. It was another matter when the ’ question of engaging the expert for a report on the Waitaki station had to be considered. There work appears to be proceeding according to schedule and to have produced no more problems to solve than was anticipated by the engineers responsible for its planning and construction. In such circumstances the need for costly expert advice did not exist, and it certainly would have been expensive at the fee suggested. It is satisfactory to note that the alterations and. adjustments at Arapuni are proceeding with dispatch, Their cost will be heavy, but considerably less than the abandonment of the undertaking would have entailed. According to latest reports, the rehabilitation should be completed by June next, if all goes well, and the generation of power at the station will again be possible during part of the winter months when the demand for electrical power is highest. Indications are that the demands for current are likely to increase so soon as it is known to be available, and that even with the present costs superimposed upon those of the original construction the station may yet pay its way.