WATER POWER.
T V DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. STRONG CRITICISM BY HON. J. E. JENKINSON. A highly interesting turn was given to tho debato on tho second reading of tho Aid to Water Power Works Bill in tho Logislativo Council yesterday afternoon, by a carefully prepared criticism of tho, GovernmentV proposals by the Hon. J. ,E. Jenkiuson. 11l moving the second reading of the Bill, the Attorney-General . said tho real tost was whether the scliemo would pay. So far as ho could ascertain, tho balanco of reliable expert evidence was . in favour of developing one or other '• of tho schemes. '• 1 ' " The Hon. C. H. Mills, who thought the Bill was !'!a step in the right direction," laid stress upon the possible loss of powjer in transmission as a. matter requiring careful study. ' The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson opened his ; speech \vith arguments to show that. ■ cheap power was, on tho average, an unimportant factor in the success of any industry. "If all power could bo delivered absolutely free to all industries," he said, "it was doubtful if' it would make a difference of 10 percent, to the average cos't of all manu- . factured articles." It would probably surprise members and others.to learn,• for instance,--that at the Addington Workshops, the largest single plant in New Zealand, tho fuel cost £5000 .an-- ' riually, or a bare 3 per cent, of the cost of tho work turned out. Tho total cost if power there, including fixed charges, would;possibly reach 7 per cent. of:the' total cost. The total- cost_ now, ■if the ' Board of Inquiry's suggestion: that gas producers should bo installed had been carried out, would be under 6 per cent. ! of tho total' cost. . The' Prime', Minister : had mentioned £20 as the average cost, fjer horse-power per year. . 'The Welington: Corporation • was , supplying poweri at 2Jd. per cent., equal to £7 per horse-power per year, but so ' far no. great increase of industrial _ development had resulted. In most industries, the cost of attendance and 1 capital charges were the greatest burden on. • steam power, and rtheso-could bo; almost wiped out by using gas or oil: The' speaker proceeded.to argue that monoy should not' bo spent in developing water power- unless there was no other object to spend money upon. Ho in-, • staJiced the reduction of grades on the. Main Trunk lino as likely to do more for industry than all the eloctrio power over generated. For cheap freights were the main factor in all industry. After . quoting export reports upon the greatly higlier .cost .of electrified railways, Mr. Jenkinson quoted figures .to show that if the railways were supplied . with electric power free 1 there would .be.no saving. The report of Messrs., Coom and Beattie on the proposal to electrify the'Lyttelton tunnel section proved this. To l electrify: tunnel traffic was'to greatly increase the cost of working. ■ The generation' of li^dro-electric; power had been almost entirely' confined to countries where coal, was dear, or had to bo imported.Another advantage in these countries was .the] continuous haturo of tho ]lowor demand. The economy of water power depended on tho proportion of tJie 'units used and paid for to the capacity of the plant on continuous working.j ; .Where..this-.was..high,,tho service was' economical. He declared that it would'be at-most olily 12 -. per'-cent', under any of the projected scheme's! JOieiplant.at Rotorua <?ost 6Jdi'per unit; itvio'st-12d. in 1906. The tcchuical infbrniatiori : available on the Govern- ! ,#V{it'6Tpj.Qposedi scheme was .praqtioally nil.':.•; Electricity'- could,' in : 'ahy'case;' bo more cheaply generated by producer gas .engines or powdered fuel than by wator power. , It certainly seemed unwise, after they.' had -got-: fairly established as a coal-mining country, to. start a vigorous opposition.to.,coal burning. He hoped the Government; would haVo tho wholo matter referred;'to a: board of expert engineers; for consideration.' Wio.Hoii. H. F, \Vigram. (Canterbury) said the'engineering problems in regard to the. Lake Coleridge scheme were very simple, in view/of the reports already in hand; and it was unnecessary to send abroad I .for expert'advice on this scheme. Electricity would; pay, on' the Lyttelton line. : There had Deoii strong- demands for electric.'water powOr in Christchurch for. many years, and . the people there were very enthusiastic about the matter. They had been refused permission to carry, out the Coleridge, scheme .themselves. If tliey were given the power he-felt sure the loan would be carried by acclamation. ■ Altogether, eight schemes had been outlined, but he could hardly conceive,of, all of ;tliem being goim on with at onco. (Hear, hear.) He would urge that the; Government should only ,pr.ocec.d,.: with., the; Coleridge' .scheme-at present. ' Persona.Mjy he thought we were on the eye of a very big thing indeed,' but it was a venture fraught with great dangers. One. of these dangers was in the matter of political influence. Pressure would bo brought to bear, on the Government from all sides. The-debate : /wus adjourned, on the motion of tho Hon. W. W. M'Cardlo. CONFERENCE AT PAHIATUA. (Dy ; . Tclcgrapli.-Pross Association.) , Pahiatua, October'2B. A conference of delegates of local .bodies, and'chambers of cominerco in the districts,,;: interested .in tho proposed Makuri - power .scheme was held . this afternoon,; The following delegates wero present:--Palmerston Borough: Mr; J. A. Nash- (Mayor of Palme'rston); Chamber , o'f Commerce, -Mr.- -M. : - A. Elliott (vice-president). AVoodville Borough: Mr. 'D. -G. M'Kibbin (Mayor). Alcitio County: Mr, J. W. Murray (chairman). Dannevirko: Chamber of Commeirce, Messrs. 11. N., Blakiston (presidont), Campbell, Thomom, L. Buick, aud G. A.. Greenwood. Pahiatua Borough: Messrs. W. W. M'Cardlo (Mayor), David Crowo, E. B. Haro, D. P. Davidson. .Pahiatua .'County: Messrs.- T. Hodgins (chairman) and S. Bolton. Eketahuna County: Mr. B. Morris. Ekotalmna Borough: Mr. T. Parsons. Eketahuna Chamber of Commerce: Mr. W. A. Boyes. Pahiatua Chamber of Commerce: Mr. A.- S. Evans. The .delegates left in six motor-cars shortly beforo noon for Makuri (18 miles)/ where sovcral prominent settlers entertained them at lunch at : the Makuri Hotel. Tlioy afterwards' .inspected tho" Makuri stream, and rc- , turned to Pahiauta to discuss tho' proposed scheme. Mr. David Crewo, who has taken a very active part in advocating; tho scheme, explained that- tho object of tho conference was to urge upon tho Government the advisability of including Makuri among tho first schemes to bo carried out. Ho moved: "That the delegates attending this conference, after visiting Makuri Gorgo, are of opinion that the proposed Makuri electric power schenio should bo one of tho first to bo undertaken by tho Government." This was seconded by Mr. Nash (Mayor of Palmorston), who said it was tho duty of all the towns interested to support tho scliemo for all they ...word worth, and tho passing of tho resolution would support tho hands of tho Government. Tho motion was supported by Messrs. Elliott, Blakiston, M'lCibbin, Bolton, Hodgins, and Parsons, all of whom gavo hearty support to tho scliemo. The was carried unanimously. A motion expressing appreciation of tho services rendered by Mr. Crowo in furthering the scliemo was carried unanimously. It was decided to forward copies of tho resolution to tho Prime; Minister and members for the districts interested.
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Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 960, 29 October 1910, Page 15
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1,173WATER POWER. Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 960, 29 October 1910, Page 15
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