A CASE FOR ENTERPRISE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 115, 8 February 1919, Page 6

A CASE FOR ENTERPRISE

'One of the questions this country will bo called upon to settlo in tho near future is whether national undertakings offering immensely profitable results are to be retarded or even postponed for lack of labour, or for lack of enterprise in finding it. A conspicuous ease in point is tho hydro-electrical scheme which was interestingly outlined by Mr. Evan Paiuu', Government Electrical Engineer, in the evidence lie gave yes'tcrday before the Parliamentary Industries Committee. Hydro-electri-cal development already takes a great place in the industrial development of the world, and undoubtedly is destined to take a greater- place as time goes on. Much weight therefore attaches 0 to Mn. Parry's statement_ that .probably thero is no country in the world, except Tasmania, more favoured than

New Zealand in the matter of potential hydro-electrical sources. The hopeful anticipations thus raised aro seriously qualified, however, when account is taken of the present attitude of the Government- in regard to exploiting these sources. Mi;. Parry indicated yesterday that shortage of labour was a serious obstacle to the prosecution of the necessary works, but still plainer testimony. to the same cffcct was borne a few days ago by the Minister ok Public Works when he stated that if the Dominion desired that public works, including hydro-electrical development, should be pushed on vigorously,. it was clearly evident that a reasonable policy of assisted immigration would have to be put in hand. This cannot be described as a purposeful attitude, and it is evidently the dut.v of the Governmentresponsibility is not, of course, confined to the Minister ok Public 'Works-—to give an early and-defin-ite lead, in the matter.

Sucli facts and conclusions as the Government . Elccfcric.il Engineer clealfc will) in his evidence vesterday indicate- that the country can ill afford to dispense with the benefits which _would result from an early arid vigorous development of the "hydro-electrical scheme. The broad features of the proposals relating to the North Island are summarised in the following passage from a reuort by Mr. Parry which. was laid before Parliament last session: — It is recommended that in the interest of national economy and production the schema should bo plamied in such a manner and ou such a scalc that a supply of power shall be available, with the cooperation of Jdie local' authorities, for every householtier in the North Island, and for any industry requiring* the supply of power, temporarily or otherwise; for main-lino electrification, light railways, coal''and other mines ( for winding, pumping, ventilating, and smelling, and for any other purpose.

Dealing with other features of'the scheme Mr. Parry states that The total capital expenditure is - estimated at £7,303,012,'-including interest during construction, working capital, and a siim to enable financial assistance to bo afforded to power-users and local authorities. , It is jiointed out that tho ivhole expenditure is recoverable in from six to seven years , in coal saved alone, productive power iseiricreased and economy secured, country districts settled, and closer settlement.generally accelerated, whilst, at the same time fho undertaking is self-supporting after a reasonable Interval for development and growth. Such projects seldom work out quite as well in practico as on paper, but iii tho House of Representatives last session Sir William Fraser pointed to the established succcss of tho Lake Coleridge .installation as showing that Mr. Parry's estimates had always been very accurate. Tho estimated cost of the Lake Colcridgo scheme, the Minister stated, • was £500,000. Tins amount had not yet been expended, but the work last year-paid not only for its administration expenses, but repaid the interest on capital cost to date. Moreover, the production of power i! less by a fourth than it will be when a range of pipes can. be obtained from England and laid in position. On the whole, in view of the results already obtained at Lake Coleridge and the various directions in which development is capable of promoting and assisting progress in town and country, it seems to be incumbent on the Government to prosecute the North Island scheme with all possible energy. There should be no thought of al--lowing an enterprise as promising as this to be_ held up by shortage of labour while a possible remedy remains in sight. As a matter of fact it is not yet certain that when repatriation is completed any such shortage as was lately, foreshadowed by Siji WiLMAM Fraser will be found to exist. The approximate position at the moment is that the Public Worl^s_ Department lia-s about 2300 men in its employ (including 450 Jugo-Slavs), and that this total leaves it short by about three thousand of the number employed before the war. If reasonable inducements wero offered it might be possible not only to recover the pre-war standard but to obtain the additional men needed to overtake arrears of country development work and to carry out great national undertakings like the hydro-electrical scheme with all convenient and 'practicable speed. The Government itself is best placed, however,_ to accurately estimate the outlook in this respect. If it is of opinion that New Zcalandcrs arc not available in adequate numbers to carry on development work, then its manifest duty is to draft and carry out a- definite 'policy under which tho nccessary labour wilt be obtained.