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Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1917, Page 2

One of the important public institutions of this country, and of which New Zeal land might well he proud, is the Public j Trust Department. This office has I been so developed and expanded under ! local guidance that its scope' and ! of administration have bej come a guide for other countries, and | one. of the latest to copy the scheme of J organisation lias been none other than j the Motherland. The Department continues to progress by leaps and hounds. Seven years ago its capital funds were £3,414,168, and its net profits £11,738. i For the financial year just closed, its capital funds had reached £,'78,802. As | indicating the scope of its finance operations .its lending department advanced nearly a million and a' half during the year. During the year over five thousand wills were placed with the office for administration, which also controls upwards of fourteen thousand estates. The business is expanding so rapidly that the large palatial building st> recently occupied by tho Department is being out grown by the requirements. It is in these circumstances that the Government propose now to strengthen the control bv directing its affairs by n Board of three members instead of shouldering tho full responsibility on ono individual. New Zealand it will bo seen oontinues to do well with its state controlled department, and tho success in tin's respect is hut typical of that found in other public institutions. Tin's result should encourage rather thftp deter the country to go further into the field of state control for there uro other profitable avenues often for safe investigation and enterprise.

The immense possibilities in front of the Dominion in connection with the proper utilisation of its water-power is again coming before the country. Tho subject is ono of great interest to this district, where the pros and eons of private versus public development have been much discussed in the past. In the House of Representatives last week the member for Rangitikef, drew the attention of tho Minister for Agriculture to the proposed scheme of a private company to utiliso the waterpower at To Anna for the extraction of nitrates from the air. The proposed scheme was on tho lines of similar ventures in operation in other countries. The cost of extracting electric power from water was much cheaper in New Zealand than in other countries. So far tho Government had refused to allow this company to operate. If the Government was unable to carry out nibh work, would it permit the private

company to do th® work itself? In reply, the Hon, W. D. S. MacDonald said ho had boon in communication with tho company referred to, and had received a great- deal of data about- the scheme. At an opportune moment he would submit the whole question to Cabinet. But the House was given, further information on the post immediately, for the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Fraser) said his department dealt entirely with this matter. According to an Act passed by the House some time ago, it was decreed that the water power of Now Zealand was to bo retained bv tho

Government., except iri certain oases where it could not be used for the benefit of a whole locality. The enterprise under notice was a very big affair-—one of the largest in the Dominion. When it wnp» submitted to him he at once turned it down. Ho was of the opinion that- such an undertaking should not he left in the hands of a. private company. Hater Cabinet approved of what he had done. Since then there lmd been frequent deputations to tho Government in tho direction of allowing private concerns to work the water supply. Before tlu* application in question had come before him, he had been in consultation with -Mr. Parry, chief electrical engineor of the Public Works Department, about the power obtainable in the same locality. When tho application followed lie was able, from bis knowledge of the matter, to inform the -applicants that the Government would never consent to tho scheme. The company was obviously an American concern, and it would not ho wise to give them the power they asked. If tho House were wise -and the people were wise, they would not submit to the scheme. He believed that the power obainable from this and other sources in the future would he of great benefit to New Zealand. It could be used not only for tho manufacture of nitrates hut. for several industrial purposes etc. The time was not- far distant when great progress would he made in New Zealand in this diroet-