REASONS AGAINST HYDRO-ELECTRIC WORKS OTHER THAN AT MANGAHAO

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 200, 19 May 1920, Page 8

REASONS AGAINST HYDRO-ELECTRIC WORKS OTHER THAN AT MANGAHAO

Sir,—ln my previous letter I gjve reu-sons-whereby the Mangahao aa a source of power is unrivalled in the Wellington provincial district. Now let me show the disadvantages of starting any otlio? works. All the proposed sources of power, Hutt, Akatarawa, Waioliine, Mukuri. etc., are small—not half the quantity at Mangahao. It would be necessary to- harness two of these at far greater cost.than one at Mangahao. Two 6mall plants are far more costly to construct than one larger, and far more costly to maintain.' The power' from two would bo doarer than from one.Our great chief want is cheap power. Tlifl- delavs before beginning elsewhere would be most tedious. A board would nave to bo elected, a staff collectedr-it might be most difficult to get an expert engineer; Money would have to bo borrowed. More delay, and at what cost? Monev is dear in London, New York, and Japan, and most difficult to raise. In New; Zealand many local bodies are about tytir to Jwrrow many loans. Derailed" surveys of, the .works would be 'needed.'' It'is very doubtful .if work con'.d .be started in less than a t year. Bv that time Mangahao' would have had two years' work done,, and be delivering 'power within a couple of years. We 6hall get power from -Mangahao far quicker than from any other schemes. , If rival works be started, labour, now scarce for, Mangahao, would bo still scarcer. Any new scheme would crawl along, arid Mangahao be ' delayed. It must 1m clear to .any one who reads Mr. Parry's reports and studies the whole question that our energies should be collected and focussed upon speed in construction of works at Mangahao. Mangahao is bei,ng constructed, «md has a good start. Mangahao will supply us with all necessary power for somn years, ard .will supply us a longe time ere any other worjes can be-ready. ■ Power from Maneahao will be far- cheaper than froni 'elsewhere. Our" great want—the one chief want of 200,000 peonle in this district—is cheap power, and soon. ,I'hold that a quick delivery of an abundant constant supnly of cheap power for lighting, for our trams and local industries, is the one great thing needed bv us; and anv other work of quite secondary value. —I am, etc., ■ ALFRED K. NEWMAN