HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2987, 26 January 1917, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

SCHEME FOR WELLINGTON

MOVE BY THE CITY COUNCIL

"That the council make urgent representations to the Government, to advise this council at the earliest fjossible date as to their proposals with respect to a hydro-electric scheme for Wellington, with which the council can link up its electrical undertakings." That, was the wording of a recommendation front the Power Stations and ■Tramways Committee to the City Council last evening, and approved. When referring to this important subject earlier in the da.y the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) said that it was pretty generally understood that Mr. Parry Dad .prepared a hydro-electric scheme for Wellington, and if that were so, ho, personally, thought that they should be made aware of it at the earliest possible moment so that they would know where they were. Dunedin had its scheme, and Christchurch had its Lake Colenclgo scheme, which was giving householders and manufacturers current at a very much lower rate than had to be charged in Wellington, and this placed Wellington at a disadvantage. Then, again, Wellington was in a very peculiar situation regaining its Iramways. There was 110 more room for expansion in either the tramways or the lighting power-houses, and if they •Were not to benelit by the hydro-elec-tric scheme, the council must very soon take into consideration the building of a big central power-house. Personally, of course, ho favoured the hydro-elec-tric scheme, which would rid them of a lot of worry and anxiety. When the recommendation came before the council in' the evening, Councillor L. M'Kenzie said that it should urge the Government' to declare its intentions. He thought that the council should communicate with' other local bodies with a view to bringing pressure to bear upon the Government to go afffead with the work. He moved that a conference of local bodies bo lield to discuss the matter. The proposal was seconded by Councillor W. ±1. P. Barber. Councillor J. Hutcheson, in supporting the motion, said that one gentleman had said in England: "We were caught unprepared for war, for God's sake don't let us be unprepared for peace." While the Government was centred in tho universal trouble, there was no reason why they should not go ahead with the work. If they were forced to go ahead with the erection of a central station for generating power, it would not matter if all the streams in the Dominion were harnessed as they would then be committed to the expense. ' The Mayor said he was very pleased at the attitude the council had assumed in the matter. A central station would be cheaper to work than two" separate stations, and sucli a station would have to be erected 011 the waterfront in order that the coal could be worked cheaply. They were not goiiig to harass tho Government in any way, nor would they suggest that they should relax their war efforts ono iota, but it was known that the engineer (Mr. Parry)., who had been brought out especially for the purpose, had latterly been concentrating 'nis energies on the North Island. They sliould know tile results of that work. The motion, calling for a conference, was put to tho council and carried without dissent. Tho Town Clerk was empowered to make tho necessary arrangements for the conference.