HYDROELECTRIC POWER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 863, 8 July 1910, Page 8

HYDROELECTRIC POWER.

PROPOSED STATE CONTROL. A START TO BE MADE IN CANTERBURY. A Canterbury deputation that wailed on the Prime Minister yesterday urged that the (iovernincnr should at once proceed to cii'rry out Hie Lake Coleridge hydro-electric power scheme for Christchureh, or, failing that, the City Corporation should bo aliowt'd to do so. Sir Joseph Ward said that in regard to the Lake Coleridge power scheme, he wished to say that the Government had not taken advantage of the reports obtained by the Christchureh City Council. The Government were anxious to see the water-powers of the Dominion utilised, and the Act of 1005 was altered with tho object of expediting matters and getting the power iu ditlerent parts of New Zealand utilised, but powers in that direction to Christchureh were never given. Why the Government had rightly changed its policy—in the Bill that would be considered this session—regarding waterpower, was owing to the fact that they found Chat in some places- largo i sums were being made out of options' before any work was done. If that were permitted, it would mean imposing upon the people very high charges indeed for power. It would not do if the primary object of cheap motive power was going to be sapped at its very inception by people endeavouring to make very largo sums out of options. It was beyond question that the Government could provide ivater-power for cities and elsewhere at a very much cheaper rate than any corporation was likely to do. While the Government would give full consideration as to preserving the rights of corporations, aliove all they wished to preserve tho rights of the people whom the corporations served. They would not allow; a superior body to have an opportunity of making an over-riding profit out of this particular business. Legislation oil the subject, with the financial powers necessary for the initiation ol the scheme by Government, would be put through this session, and he hud very little reservation in saying that the Government; would act in the matter pretty promptly in Canterbury, though they would itol. of course, spend the whole of flio ,£500,000 there. One particular reason for starting in Cliristchurch was because the Government had works that required to be attended to there. The Government recognised that the matter should receive attention at. an early date, and had also come to tlie conclusion that it was in the best interests of the State that the Government should control the wholo of these powers from end to end of New Zealand.