DEVELOPMENT OF WATER POWER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 939, 5 October 1910, Page 4

DEVELOPMENT OF WATER POWER.

;.'"'■ ':C '■:.:;■— — -^-——--■, \ ' CLAIMS:OP MAKURI PILLS.": Consideration of the draining of '.the' Makuri' Falls, ,'when the" Government "is gbingv.into 'the scheme for" the national; development, of-electrical "energy :■ from': .water power, was urged, on'the Prime Minister on Monday by a deputation from Pahiatua;' which was: introduced- by. Mr. R.'B.'vEoss.'M.P. "'■■•':' '.';,'■,"

When Mr. P. 'S.' Hay inspected- the locality in L 1904 he .reported that the' "stream.was a'good one t'or.:a small power:, scheme, even'-if; only.'a'l.smaU'.reservoir: were built. :It was found that' there.was: : a;'fall of about;; 330 ft. in about twoand a, quarter.milesi.on. the.Makuri Gorge. ..-

- ,Mr. D. Crewe mentioned; that .some years-ago; residents: of;' the •: district had gone: very'"carefully 'into ;the matter, and had: -had exhaustive investigations': made and '.reports prepared. ".-The. scheme 'in> eluded' the lighting- of Pahiatua,- Woqdyille, - Palmerston North; and , Mastertbn, and also'the' construction of: a light tramway into the Makuri-county. The whole;of .-the. information got together would-be placed.'at the disposal ;of- the. Government, which /.was:' urged'• either, .to: ; harness the:stre'afn';itself 'or' give tho local bodies an'-.opportunity of doing so. The whole of '■ the, 'plant could. be. put .down 'for ,£160,000. In the matter,. they relied upon two direct and distinct/ pro-: raises made by the .late Mr. Seddon, that :the,Makuri stream'.would be one of the; very first :■ to be harnessed for the. development/of .water power in,'the North Island. ',: '.-i.'": /:

' Mr. W. W. M'Ardle," jun., supported the request; :and ■■ mentioned - that 'with a large reservoir sufficient, water could be "stored to give. 3000 horse-poweri continuously, or 6000 horse-power for twelve hours a. day. In-his: reply, the Prime Minister made it plain that the Government /could 'not now consider the possibility of allowing local -bodies in any part of "the country, to take this .work in. hand.. : The; whole question was one; of. policy, and no; district/could :bo treated ' any differently from .the: others.:-When the Government s proposals for; developing water power by State enterprise .were before: the - country, they would .then 'have -'to", decide, what bodies ' of. water were to be. dealt.- with' first. Within the limits. of the ,£500,000. which was to be /allocated annually, the most urgent ."/and 'important--schemes would.first be put in hand, but it was •impossible : to; say which these" would, .be at''.the present'time.:'The claim of the Makuri scheme would bo considered along' with, others, -more than-.which, he could not promise. .