SEVERE POWER CUTS NOT CONTEMPLATED

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1948, Page 5

SEVERE POWER CUTS NOT CONTEMPLATED

WEI.LIXGT'OX, Jan. !). Power euts made in the Rotorua eounty and borougii this week and suddeiilv caucelled yeslerday do noi deuote a deterioration of the general sdwition, nor do tliey presage genara' euts throughout the country in the neur i'ulure. Tiiough ollieials in Wellington weri retieeiil regarding the reasons for tlu sudden ces.-ation of ihe euts it is knpwn that this tolioueil telephone eoinmuni eations between Rotorua and Welling ton iu whieh the Prime .Minister (I\lr. Fraser. took part. It would apjiear that ihe imposition of the reslrirtions in Rotorua followed the leeeipt of a eireular from the State Jlydro eleetrie Uepartmeiit advising*'thc quotas tillowable to eaeh board thi.year. Jn general an increase of 5 per cent above last vear's tptotas has been allowed, but Rotorua was oue boari. whieh reeeived an inerease greater that. the average. Xevertheless, present con sumption of power In the dislriet is fairly high, and local oiheials apparently eonsidered at iirst that this arrani ed inimediate restrictions. All other boards are at present rely- . ing on other eeonoinies, sueh as restrictions in the liours of water-neatej usage, to keep within their allocations. ' ' Ihe water storage position is at present fairly satistactory. about tlu same as at the saiue time last vear am. conMderaoly better thau ai tlie sanu time in 11)45," said the general nian ager of the State Ilydro-electric De partment (5Ir. F. T. 51. Kissel; today "We have not quite as much in tlu Xort h Island as we would like, but tlu poskion does not warrant drastic euts In the South island it is very good. " AJ r. Kissel explained that the in creascs in power allocations to boards this year would not exhaust the generat ing eapacity in the Xorth Island pro vided normal weather eonditions pro vailed. Thev would, however, allow tli. increases to eontinue year by year unti. 51 axaetai canie into operation and ro lieved the shortage. With the ever-increasing demand fo. electricity, however, some restrictions will probably be unavoidable in mos, distriets later in the year.