HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 8

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

.AT THE HEADWATERS OF THE MANGAIIAO SIR WILLIAM FRASER AT THE WORKS CHEAP ELECTRICITY IN SIGHT (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Shannon, February 28. As a prelude to what, is generally accepted as. the'immediate prosecution of the scheme in its initial stages, an official visit, of inspection was made yesterday to the head of the developmental works in connection with the Mangaliao hydro-electric scheme. The official party, which comprised Sir William Fraser, Minister of Publio Works, Mr, E. Parry, Chief Electrical Engineer, Mr. N. Birks, principal officer in charge of tho Lake Coleridge power station, and Mr. F. T. M. Russell, principal assistant to Mr. Parry, left Shannon before eight o'clock this morning in motor-cars, and later took horse'in order to complete the further singes of tho journey. Later in the morning tho members of the Hydroelectric. League arrived 011 the scene, together with a number of local enthusiasts, Some idea of the steep nature of the country traversed by tho'party in order lo reach Hie site of the works may be gauged from tho fact that in three niiles-the road rises some 1260 feet. It is very narrow and rough in places, and is certainl" capable of cousiderable improvement. Surprise was expressed on all sides at: the indomitable energy of the Minister 111 negotiating the whole journey out to the first dam on the Mangaliao. This entailed travel per motor-car, horseback, and 011 foot, and the 'Minister's self-imposed fatigue in going over the whole of . the ground augured well in the minds of tho members of the league, judging from, their expressions to a Dominion representative for an immediate and comprehensive prosecution of tho schome.

The scene of the projected works has already been amply described on the occasion of the previous official visit. Tlie Mangaliao scheme is one of three iuterlinldnsr .ftources of power for supplying, the whole of the North Island. Of tho other two sources of supply, one will be located at Orapuni, seven miles from Horahora, and the other at 1 Waikaremoana. It is expected that tho Mangahao will produce 24,000 horse power, Orapuni 90,000, and Waikareinoana ■40,000.

Mr. Parry Interviewed. In an interview at Shannon to-day with Tiie Dominion representative, Mr. Parry said it was expected that the Mangahao scheme would be ready for operation three yews after the date of commmicoiiient. The intontion was that the Mangahao scheme would be supplemented with a supply of power from tho. Waikaremoana works, and to a lesser extent from the Orapuni works. These three systems combined and linked together wero essential to the scheme. Not pnocould be dropped out or ignored without spoiling the scheme, and it was reckoned that the work should proceed simultaneously more or less, not necessarily at the same day cr hour, at all three sources' of supply. So long as they kept in viow tho fact that the three sources wewessentially combined tho matter of a few months really did not matter. Mr. Parry also remarked that tho 24,000 horse-power that tho Mangahao would develop would be quite sufficient for many years to come to supply the whole of the Manawatu right down to Wollington, the whole of the Wairarapa, and the wholo of the district extending to Napier and west to Wanganui. Tho three sources of 9u.pjily for tho Noirth Island would not bo linked up at tho outset, but as business required, tho transmission lines would gradually be extended (ill ultimately they would meet anil link up together. For the present, however, there. was ample power to meet tho needs of districts served for very many yeairs to come. No one within a radius 1 of 100 miles or so need therefore be afraid that lio would not be' served- It was anticipated that after the interval icquired for development tho scheme would be self-supporting. At Lake Coleridge they had reached tho self-supporting stage after three years.' This was two years in advanco of tho time calculated. To do the same work performed last year by tho electricity supplied by the Lake Coleridge scheme, 50,000 tons of.coal, possibly ffioro, would have been required by certain. industries.

A? regarded tho general scheme of electrical development for Not Zealand, Mr. Parry was confident that the country would recover its expenditure after about five to six years' operatious. That was a business proposition. Mr. Parry- emphasised the point that the reticulation work was not primarily the function of the State, which ceased when the main transmission lines were installed. The Government aimed at felling the power to. the local authorities in bulk, the latter in turn to distribute it to householders and private concerns. . Power ■would be available, with the aid of tho lopal authorities, to every householder, power-user, and ' any now industry tlurougliout -tho Dominion. The system was to supply the ordinary needs of the population—railways, tramways, and Householders. It was not big enough to supply special industries, which it was hopejl to create. This was provided in the surplus amount of powir which was available at two of the sources—namely, Arapuni and Waikaremoana. As illustiatmg tho need for providing for this increased consumption, Mr. Parry eaid that in October last the Government had received an application from London for 2500 horse-power for. the purpose of running a projected electric smelting works in the neighbourhood of Christohurch. Because of the fact that on account of the war the Government had been unablo to procure sufficient plant at Lake Coleridge tho application had had to- be turned down. Tasmania was quoted by the speaker there as an illustration of' how a Government had received 'applications for more, electrical -power than it had contemplated would be consumed. In that country there had been a very great and extraordinary demand for power. In New Zealand, however, ample provision was being niatlo for the needs of. any special industries which.it was expected would follow in the train of hydro-electric development. In the evening the Ministerial party was banqueted at Shannon. BANQUET At' tho banquet, Mr. Murdoch, Mayor of Shannon, presided over a large and representative gathering of the members of : the ' Hydro-Electric League, the chambers of commerce, and other local bodies. The chairman, in his opening remarks, mentioned that there were delegates present from Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Wanganui, ancl Hawke's Bay districts. In the course of his speech the Minister emphasised the point that tho Manguliao and other schemes must be put on a proper financial basis and secure footing. As long as ho had a voice in tho matter they could depend on the whole-hearted support of himself and his colleagues. Everybody was anxious to know when tho scheme was going to bo completed. Ho would be a wise man who attempted' to answer' absolutely. There were two considerations, one was money and tho other was labour. AVitli regard lo finance lui was going to have a Bill prepared for next session, which would definitely seltlo on what conditions money would bi» raised. They would either have to place tho question of linanoe 011 a proper footing or repeal the Act, and it would be a very bold Government that would repeal the Act. With regard to I he Mungalmo nud Auckland schemes lie was going to try and push them, and ho did not fear the question of raising the money. • Ho believed that tho money would be forthcoming. Whether the wholo scheme was to bo a success or not depended on it being put 011 a pure business basis, and carried out 011 business linos. There must be no frittering away of public money in capital costs. Lake Coleridge was paying its way, and it was not cvqti completed, yet if the Government

had been able to provide the material they would have got considerably moro revenue at a very little increased, outlay of capital. He hoped Parliament would tecognise tho great importance, of hydroelectric development, and put something on the Statute Book that would settle the question of finance once and for all, so that it would 110 longer be, the plaything of politics. Replying to his. critics the 'Minister stressed the fact that the plea of the shortage of labour was 110 bogey, but rather a serious deterrent to the. prosecution of the hydro-electrical and other Government undertakings. Many thousands more men were required. Tho trouble was that there were not sufficient men in tho country. The question was: What were they going to do about it? There was. only one remedy—increased population. Possessed as she was of enormous possibilities for expansion, New Zealand ought to be carrying a population not of one million, but of two, three, or even five millians. At the same time, it was essential for tliem to get the right class of settler .here. He believed there was a good chance of tho Dominion attracting immigrants to her shores. The cure for the present situation was assisted immigration.. "We want it," he remarked, "and there is room for it in this country, and this country will not prosper until we get more people." Incidentally the Minister referred to the great possibilities of the hydro-electric scheme in inducing closer settlement. They must give the settlers something which will make their lives brighter and moro comfortable, and in this connection nothing will l:e more beneficial than hydro-electric development.