ELECTRICITY ON THE FARM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 257, 18 July 1918, Page 8

ELECTRICITY ON THE FARM

PROGRESS URGED POWER FOR UTILITY PURPOSES AND TO BRIGHTEN RURAL LIFE Hydro-electric power as it concerns the man oil tin? land was discussed )>y tlio Council of .Agriculture yesterday." Mr. H. A. Russell (llawke's Day;, moved: "That in tho opinion of this conference) the establishment of an national hydro-electric schema for I lie Dominion , is of tho utmost importance as an aid to tho production and establishment of primary and secondary industries, likewise tho general development of tho country. The conference suggests that the Government bo urged to furihcr the project of a Stato hydro-electric scheme without delay as being the chief economic wart to be undertaken." At this stage Mr. A. W. Rogers, president of the Southland League, read a paper on ''The importance of the Electric Power Hoard's Bill to Agricultural And Pastoral Interests." Mr. Kogers said ."There is a universal ory for increased production, and the necessity for that cry must be admitted by everyone who has giveu the slightest thought to the position that will exist when tho war is ended. On what portion of the community of this Dominion will the greatest burden of increased production tall? Undoubtedly upon (he farmers and pastoralists; wo cannot be called a manufacturing country, and increased production in New Zealand virtually means more foodstuffs and more wool. Is the country capable of producing more than it has hitherto done? Potentially there is almost 110 limit to the productiveness of this Dominion. What then is needful to bring about the urgent increase? Three things at any rate aie essential—(l) Closer settlement. (2) Better method? «ol' farming. (3) Less dependence upon hired labour, or more inducement for _ hired labour to offer itself. Very material increase in production can no doubt bo effected without closer settlement, but only if tho second and third essentials can be supplied. As to closer settlement, population is the true index, and when we comparo the census figures for the years 1911 and 1910 it is abundant Iy evident that in the South Island the revenue of closer settlement lias taken place, while in the North Island the country population haA increased by less than 2 per cent, per annum. The figures aro as follow North Island-Country popula- i tion, 1016, 302,088; country population, 1911, 277,0C5; increase, 25,(i50. or 9.27 per cent. South Island—Co'intrr population, 1911, 219.771; eoiintrv population, 1910, 201,410; decrease, 18,355, or 8.30 per cent. The net result over the Dominion as a whole is that the country population has practically remained stationary, and when the fact that the cities and boroughs have materially increased in population during the period under review is taken into consideration, the position is one that calls for immediate and careful consideration. In the North and South Islands the cities and borou.ghs have respectively increased in population duriii" the fire years to 1910 as under:— North Island—City and borough popula- < tion, 1910, 310,749; city and borough population, 1911, 252,525; increase. 04,224, or 22.73 per cent. South Island—City and borough population, 1916, 235.712; city and borough population, 1911, 223,(1y3; increase, 12,C39, or 5.06 per cent. "It is abundantly evident from tliesa figures that the inhabitants of this Dominion are being stwviily attracted to the centres, and that the rising generation and immigrants from other countries are finding their way to the (owns in a far greater ratio than to the conntrv. This most, regrettable otate of affairs must be entirely reversed if increased production and clossr settlement are to be realised, and therefore it is encumbent upon us to find I he cause aud endeavour to find a remedy, Ihe cause must lie in the fact that town lite with all its cleanliness, its comforts, its conveniences, its amusements, is a striking contrast to the drudgery, Ilia mud, tho discomfort, the lack of couveuience anil social intercourse which Jails to (lie lot of the dairy or back-country tanner, nucl wen of the squatter It seems to me that it is finite useless to 'all- about closer settlement until an endeavour is mado to minimise this great and cogent disparilv. It must be made possible for the fanner to live and carry on las business with something more akin to the amenities available to the townsman, and in scarcely less degree does that apply to the farmer's wife and inmilj. Jt must also be made possible for (he iai mer to till nis soil, sow his seeds, leap and harvest his crops, and have a means of transport through power other than the horse. Tho capacity ol a team of horses is limited, the teamster requires to work three or four hours per day longer than the other farm hand, the horses have to be fed whether they lire working or idle, they are. idle probably half the vear; the depreciation in thenvalue is iieavy, and often there is absolute loss. So' far us power is concerned the fanner as a class is the largest user, and is the mainstay of this country, yet he is least thought 01, and the power facilities iit his disposal are the most primitive in existence. As to the need for belter methods ot farming: Science will do much in the near future for the farmer, as it has done in the past, but the greatest incentive of all, both to the fanner and his employee, to adopt better methods and carry them to success would be cheap, flexible, convenient, and ellicient power. "Regarding the necessity for Ihe farmer to be less dependent upon hired labour or be in a position to offer moro inducement to the employee. Farm work under prevailing conditions is not attractive employment for the hired man or woman. There is little exercise lor one.'s brain power or intelligence in driving a, team or milking a cow, whiic in both cases under existing conditions (ho work amounts to drudgery. The application of cheap mechanical power to farm work in every direction would make the small fanner independent of outside help, while ihe worker on the larger farm would be elevated to a higher plane in life, there would be every opportunity for the exercise of his ability, lie would do more work and earn greatiy increased pay. in short, the farm and up-country station would he tho most attractive and most benelicieut. opening for the youth of the Dominion. A power that will at the same time be cheap, easily conveyed, flexible, and efficient is an urgent need to the farmer. /J'lio one power that would meet all those requirements is electricity, and it gives light and heat in addition to power. Jf electric energy were made available to the farmers it would promote closer settlement by making the amenities of the farm and back country more akin lo those of (he towns; it would promote better methods of farming; it would nullify the labour difficulty. Ju a word, it would increase production with better returns to the producer. "The Electric Power Boards Bill laid upon the table of the House ot Representatives by Sir Joseph Ward is drafted with two objects in view. First, to make it possible for a board elected by the ratepayers to generate electric power and distribute it within any district not corn--1 ing within tho scope of any existing or contemplated Government scheme; and, : second, to purchase electric energy from ; the Government or other available source ! and distribute it within :i defined area. ' Such a will make it possible for farming districts to have equal facili- ' ties with the centres as far as electric energy is concerned. It will also eliiniu- ' ate the menace that the exislingmethod now creates in tho added attraction that tho electrification of (lie towns is to tho people to drift from the country. "The successive steps in order to carry out a scheme of electrification under the proposed A tit are as follow:—(1) An area (it may be of any dimensions and may , include one or niort? ooroughs, towns, counties, or road board districts) is map- | ped out. (2) On a petition which must , be signed by at least 25 per cent, of the 1 ratepayers within that, area, the Gov-ernor-General may proclaim it an "electric power district." (3) The ratepayers next elect a board of management to be called the — electric power board, which board shall b« a local authority, , having the usual rating and borrowing

powers of such nn nutliorily. (4) The board having had the necessary surveys carried out, plans and specifications prepared, and an estimate of the cost: made ill relation to its proposed scheme of electrification, must submit the same to the Governor-General for approval, such approval being given in the form'of an Order-in-Council authorising life execution of the work. (5) To raise the needful money to carry out the work authorised by such Order-in-Councit the board must comply with the provisions of the Local Bodies Loans Act, which, inter "tin, requires the consent of the ratepayers." After one of the speakers had alluded to the Lake Coleridge scheme, Sir Walter Buchanan said that the conference would welcome information from Canterbury as to the results of the scheme so far" as the provincial districts of Canterbury were concerned. M|'. E. Parry said (hat there was a spirit in Southland which the rest of the Dominion would do well to adopt. In Canterbury tho idea was a different one—there they had sought to bring the scheme to a self-supporting stage as soon as possible. The results so far were remarkably good. lie liked Mr. Kogers's idea of reticulating the whole of the district so that the farmer as well as the townsman would bo served. Mr. ]{. E. Alexander (Lincoln College) said that electricity from Lake Coleridge was used at Lincoln College, and was found to be satisfactory, useful, and cheaper tlinn coal. There was no power liko it. Shearers preferred it to anything else. Mr. .1, O. Coop (Banks Peninsula) was against a number of little schemes, the Government should take the thing in hand from end to end. Mr. W. D. Hunt (Southland), speaking from experience of the uso of electricity, strongly advocated Mr. Rogers's scheme. Sir Walter Buchanan asked if there was any information as to the successful application of electrical power lo the ordinary agricultural operations of ploughing, harrowing, and cultivation generally. Mr. Parry replied that from the information ot hand electricity appeared to be the best and cheapest power for farming purposes. Tho Hawke's Bay remit was then adopted, and the conference thanked Mr. Rogers and Mr. Parry for their information. Mr. E. Harper (Masterton) moved that the Government should be urged to proceed with the Electric Power Board Bill. Mr. Rogers said that in these schemes the interests of the country should not be subordinated to financial success. Respecting the Lake Coleridge scheme, if (he country districts had been reticulated instead of the wire being taken into Christchurch it would have been more in the interests of the country. Once the power was got (o the farms the farm machinery would soon be electrified. Mr. Harper's motion was carried. Mr. W. R- Lochhead (Canterbury) moved:—"That the Government be asked ; to anpoint an Advisory Board to assist the Government in the distribution and sale of electricity." This motion also was carried.