ELECTRICAL POWER.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18417, 25 June 1925, Page 14

ELECTRICAL POWER.

PROGRESS LEAGUE'S DISCUSSION. "I would suggest that the administration of the generation and distribution of electrical power within our borders is a matter that, even in t"ho present condition of legislation ion the subject, is to somo extent in our own hands," said the president of the Canterbury Progress League (Mr J. H. Blackwell) at the annual meeting of that body yesterday. "The question as to how far we could combine and ordinate existing power boards and contracting authorities, so as to establish a provincial authority, is one that might well bo investigated. Judging by tho tenor of the views expressed on tins subject in the past by the Prime Minister in his capacity as Minister of Public "Works, he should not be indisposed to let Canterbury help itself in this mutter. As things stand, wo seem to bo almost continually in tiiO position of demanding moro power than tho Government can supply, and additional plant comes so tardily that tho development of demand has been hampered. ' With the latest duplication of plant at Lake Coleridge, an adequate supply will be assured for a few years, it would seem, but we shall then have t> seek fresh sources of power, and unless the methods of the electrical branch of the Public Works Department are altered in the meantime, spend a great deaj of valuable time in coaxing the Government to install new plants. With authority to undertake financial commitments to satisfy our own reasonable needs in such matters, subject to the approval of engineering details by tho Department, we should make more satisfactory progress." Mr Blackwell also advocated decentralisation of public works expenditure. "Not only is" the distribution of expenditure' by a central government regarded by at least three-fifths of the Dominion as inequitable," ho said, but the'local government system is demonstrably wasteful and inefficient in many instances. There are many of ! the functions both of the central govf eminent and of the local bodies in respect of public works that might be better discharged .by a provincial board. ; The subject is a large one, but-1 think jit is worthy of consideration. The organiser is at pivsent giving the matter a good deal of careful study, and hopes during the coming year to b.> able to submit a plan of local government reform, which will provide a useful basis for discussion when the matter comes before the executive."

In supporting the president's remarks, Mr A. F. Wright, vice-presi-dent, considered that there wove many works in Canterbury that could be better carried out by the Province than by the Dominion, and in this connexion lie instanced the development of electric energy. Why, he asked, should the Government nit allow the City Council to tako steps in this direction.

The Mayor (Mr j. K. A roller) eulogised thn work done by the League in bringing together town and country interests. He regretted that there was a suspicion in the minds of the country people that the City was parochial in certain matters. Ho had noticed this particularly regarding the harnessing nf the "Waimakariri River for electrical purposes. This was to bo regretted and he hoped that before loni!; the •Government would give the City the right to use that wonderful stream for the purposes of electrical energy. Mr Kehreiber, the American engineer, who had reported on the scheme, and who had had a wide experience iof electrical matters in different parts of the world, considered that the scheme represented one of the best propositions of its kind in the world.