HARNESSING WATER POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 42, 18 February 1908, Page 4

HARNESSING WATER POWER.

TOO COSTLY FOR RAILWAYS.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER.

(By Telegraph. — Own Reporter.) HAMILTON, this day. A large deputation, comprising representatives from various local bodies, brought under the notice of the Premier during his visit to Hamilton, the question of the utilisation of water power for the provision of electric light. And power. The immense possibilities of the Waikato Kiver for the purpose -were referred to, and it wu3 urged that the venture would prove a profitable one tothe Government. The importance of the work from the municipal, the manufacturing, the dairying, and the agricultural point of view, was' urged upon the Prtmier by the various speakers. Sir Joseph stated that the matter was one of great importance, besides being a very extensive undertaking. The advantages of electrical power could not be denied for a moment, and the uses which it could be put to were very great. Whether they were going to get the low cost which was assumed was another proposition. At one time he, as a layman, thought they could electrify the railways from the great water powers which were running to waste. A report, however, which had been obtained in Victoria recently, showed that this would be the most costly method of running the railways. To put it briefly, there wae a very grave doubt. Owing to the enormous amount of capital required it would not, in the opinion of experts, pay the Government to carry out the scheme from a .railway point of view. The Government originally intended to harness the waters themselves and let the power out, and the only thing that stopped them "was the fact that it would cost several I millions, of money. The country could not do all these things at once, for there was now about £60,000,000 at money borrowed, and this financial year they were spending about £2,900,000. If the Government were going to cany on a great system of harnessing the rivers it ment that the construction of railways must be stopped while they carried out the work, for the country had a limit on its borrowing powers. However, tae Government intended to make regulations and to gazette them soon, stipulating the conditions under which water power could be acquired by the Government or private individuals or companies, always providing that the poorest man would get his power at exactly the same rate as the richest. (Applause.) It would be misleading on his part to say that the Government was going to hold on to these water powers for utilisation by the State, but regulations would be gazetted, as he had stated, to provide for their being utilised in the interests of the people. At present the country could afford to ,go into .the ver, « WniffiSS 0,, £8m>:oi!o or £10,000,000 put on top «f ordinary pabbc requwemeate, for ttaafwould men that MMil*,* wenid h. TO to