LAKE COLERIDGE

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16855, 8 June 1920, Page 7

LAKE COLERIDGE

additional power plant. JIMARU TO RECEIVE CURRENT NEXT YEAR. (srECIAL TO "TITE l'R£R>."J WELLINGTON, Juno 7. A South Canterbury deputation waited upon tho Prime Minister this morning regarding a supply of power from Lake Coleridge. The members of the deputation were Messrs J. C'raigie, J. Bitchcner. and T. D. Burnett, M.P.'s, and tho Mayors of Timaru, Ashburton, and Temuka. The Chief Electrical Engineer, Mr L. Birks, was present, and was closely questioned bv members of the deputation. He said that the present powerhouse, with the extensions being made, ,S would give double the present output. • > Numerous applications wore in hand for increased supplies of power, and the .South Canterbury demand, which was regarded as urgent, was included in the schedule. Ibe total applications exceeded the prospective supplies from the third ov(;0 h.p. unit now being installed. JI e, however, did not think the applicants would, in the end, take nil the power they had askc-d for, as it was evident that {ho districts had asked for more than their requirements. In view of this point, it would not be advisable to publish the individual demands at present. For the electrification of the Lyttolton tunnel, if that should be decided upon, there woidd be required 1500 h.p. This was not included in the present allocations. In regard to the progress made with the installation of the third unit, tho material for which had been ordered in 1!)1G, the turbine had been delivered two years ago, but the generator had just come to hand. Tho first shipment of pipeline was on 'the water, with tho prospect of other shipments following quickly enough to allow the work to go on unimpeded. It was exported that this third unit would be in service next winter. For tho fourth unit of 4000 h.p., tenders would close on Julv 31st next, and the work would be pushed on vigorously. Tho transmission line to Timaru had been surveyed, and detailed plans prepared as far as Methven. Tho first shipment of poles ordered in 1019 had come to hand only a few weeks ago. It was expected that the work of erocting the line would proceed vigorously. Tho demands already made would absorb the whole capacity of the unit now going in, and he included in this the South Canterbury demand. He hoped that in two years power would be available from the fourth unit. There M ould be a chance of South Canterbury '■ getting a share of the power from the third unit, and there was some chance of power being available in Timaru in about eighteen months. The original plans provided for taking the line to Oamaru. but ho did not think now that, without considerable extensions at Lake Coleridge, it would be advisable to take the line past Timaru. Mr Massey, who received the deputation in the absence of the Minister of Public Works, said he knew nothing about the details connected with the Jiydro-electric works, but ho assured the deputation that tho Government was just as anxious as they themselves to give power from tins source to South Canterbury. Never before had the need for electric power been so keenly felt as during the past two years, owing to the coal shortage that has existed \ for practically the whole of that time. Most of the coal mines were now working full' time, yot it seemed that even with the present output, and with thk additional importations, thero would bo still a shortage. The Government had decided to push on the hydro-electric power supply as fast as possible, and Mr Birks had just given it as his opinion that power would b.e available for Timaru in eighteen months' time. He (Mr Massey) hoped it would be possible to fulfil this promise. So far as lie was'concerned, all promises made by the Government would be honourably fulfilled, unless unforeseen contingencies arose. There was no unwillingness on tho part-of the Government to go on with the hydro-electjric works. On the contrary, they were considered to be the most important of all. the public -works in band.