ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 61, 6 December 1920, Page 6

ELECTRIC POWER

SCHEMES INVOLVE ENORMOUS

(?OST

COMMENTS BY THE MINISTER

The question of powcj development at present was largely ono of money, said the Minister of TuMic Works .(Hon. J. CI. Coa-.les), in Auckland. Ho had worked out recently the coot of a complete system for the whole of New Zealand. Tho figures, of course, were academic, but he believed they wore fairly accurate. Arapuni, Horaliorn, Kaihina (for which money-was already nllocuted), AVaikaremoann, Wangaluio. a scheme for Blenheim. Lake Coleridge, and the Otagoand Southland works, to be completed in ten years, would require .£59,800,000. The hendworks would cost- between .£17,000,000 and .£20,000,000, uml the distribution to consumers tho balance. It was for the people of tho Dominion to say whether works of this magnitude should be undertaken. All the power to bo produced by these schemes could be sold today.

The difficulty experienced by power boards ,jn common with other public bodies, in ralrag money <it the current rate of interest, said Mr. Coatos, was one for the Prime Minister, as Minister of Finance, to consider. Ht knew of ono euso, however, where the- community had come to its own rescue, It was tho pluckiest scheme that had yet been evolved. The people in idle district had united, and had guaranteed .£2o,ooo'for nil necessary works, and reticulation within the district. The Government was carrying the power to the border of tho district, and the power board, as usual, was ail ending to its distribution. as indicating tho spirit of those behind the raising of tho money, one man was contributing 3:2000. Another resident of tho district, a man working on wages, with a family to keep, had offered a week's .wages, JM. Ho had promised further to contribute ft week's wnges whenever he could spare it, but confined ins definite offer to the first M, This was entirely a rural communityi consisting principally of farmers, with no largo town in the district. He was not sure lUiat tho samo general interest in the question would be manifested in the towns. The commercial consumers of current would be ready to encourage the schemes, and would doubtless raise money in a similar manner. But it was tho domestic consumption of power, for all purposes, -which the Department wished to foster. It was necessary to catch the interest of tho woman managing the home. He hoped 'that an educative, campaign in tite matter could be undertaken.

The Question for cities like Auckland in the matter of .increasing their plun-r, to keep up with the demand pending the arrival of Government current was whother they wero prepared to "scrap" portions of their installations in the future. A certain amount of it would need to be retained as a standby, but if plants were increased at:' considerable expense .now they would have to go later.