NEW POWER HOUSE SITE INSPECTED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19271, 7 January 1931, Page 8

NEW POWER HOUSE SITE INSPECTED.

COUNCILLOR THACKER SAYS WORK TOO SLOW

An inspection of the new power house site at Lyttelton for Canterbury’s stand-by plant was carried out to-day by the Deputy-Mayor (Councillor H. T. J. Thacker) and Mr R. 11. Webb, representing the Vigilance Committee of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association and the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. They were accompanied bv the Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville), and Mr E. Hitchock, general manger of the Municipal Electricity Department. The site is a short distance on the south side of the oil tanks on the reclamation area and already a considerable amount of work has been done. The site has to be excavated for the foundations to a depth of twelve feet over an area of 146 feet by 30 feet, and the machinery will be housed in an overhead galvanised iron building 50 feet high. Fifty Men Employed. At present about fifty men are employed on the excavation and a dozen horses and drays are being used to remove the spoil. The excavation will have to go down to the solid roc.k all over, but under the cliff at the rear of the site, where the rock is close to the surface, a good deal of blasting will be necessary. Already a pit of considerable size has been dug on the seaward end of the area where old .dredgings and other material used to fill up the reclamation make comparatively easy going. There is room for eight or nine drays to load at the same time at the bottom of the pit. and the big draught horses at work bringing the spoil-filled drays to the top make a fine picture. Preparations are being made to use explosives on the rock at the other end of the site, and this morning a number of men were driliing holes to contain ihe blasting charges. The railway line is being used to bring shingle and sand in readiness for'the concrete work that will be soon commenced. No time was lost by the men on the job today. They are described as an excellent body of workmen. Right Up-to-dat#. Councillor Thacker said that the foreman (Mr Winton), who was also in charge of the gang at the Acheron diversion job, had informed him that they would be right up to date with the site. Councillor Thacker himself, however, is not so confident that the work is being pushed on fast enough. “We can see they have made a start and that is all,” he said. “They should have more men on with motor lorries or a railway siding to remove the spoil. It will take them all their time to get the work finished by the stipulated date. I see by the newspapers that the Auckland machines are not coming down here until Arapuni is safe. That is a breach of the contract right away. They could easily put more men on the excavation. There must be plenty of men amongst the unemployed who would be suitable for the work.” Mr R. H. Webb said that as it was the first time he had seen the work he was not in a position to comment on the rate of progress, but he considered that they they would have to put every available man on to speed the job up. Another inspection would be made in about a month’s time and it would then be possible to express an opinion. Mr Webb stressed the urgent need of the stand-by plant being completed as early as possible, and said that the need for economy in the use of power was not yet past.