Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 22nd. 1920. GETTING SOMEWHERE.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MARCH 22nd. 1920. GETTING SOMEWHERE.

The meeting of the Westland Qhjtfjiber of Commerce at the County Chambers on Saturday night when Mr F. T, M, .Kissel of the Government hydro-elec-tric department was met, took a for- • ward step in regard to a hydro-elec-tric supply tor Westland. Hitherto there has been much talk and vmy little, action. The .subject has been embellished witty many alluring picture# ivhaj; mjghjb by, yep while the

optimism was ho doutyt genuine it brought us nowhere, Ttye thing desired remained as far off as ever, njid w,e I jypre still waiting for the Government 1 «H‘ private enterprise to take action, ft is very cjear tluit,. waiting for the Government "'ill JJJ.ean a generation

delay. Thf single Qoyernmenjt scheme in hand, Coleridge, tyag tyeei? under way for ten years, and is not perfected yet. Lately the Government acquired a private power scheme in the North

Island and they ar« flpyfcl oping that. There is also a further major .scheme to l)e developed in that quarter. Other parts of the Dominion have realised ,that it is futile waiting for Govern* ■ wept action—they must move them- ■ selves- Southland is the most concrete eaxmple of thi« fiatuyo, for t there they have their power board elected, fln<t are moving forward rapidly now, their Jpajj money of a million or more being assured on the London market. Wanganui is another locality \yhich has resolved to hit out for itself, and }£ getting fin- necessary machinery in motion. On Sa.tur.day night it was decided to submit to the local Jodies of Westland a proposal to do )ikewi E o. Under the Power Boards Act, the first step is the signing of a petition by twenty-five per cent of the ratepayers praying for the creation of a Power district and the election of a Power Board. This the local bodies of Westland are asked to take up—to circulate, a petition and to secure signatures to it. Then a body with definite powers could ho created by the people themssjvcs to go into the whole matter, and after preparing a scheme (which would have to be approved by the Government engineers) put a proposal before .the people on which a poll would be taken. It- is recognised that electric power when cheaply supplied can revolutionise trade and industry. Canada, is a striking example of what can be done, and most of its two million horsepower in daily use is derived from hydro-electric sources. It would be the duty of the Board to. be created for Westland to go into the matter on a commercial basis. If in n great enterprise for the people to take up directly for the benefit of the province, but indirectly for their own welfare. The Board before launching out into a capital expenditure would require to ascertain both revenue and outgoings, and the scheme would bo devised on profit-earning lines only. Where practicable liydro-eleetric schemes are evolved they are for the immediate enhancement of the district. Westland .vith all its future before it, with the immediate accession it will receive by reason of the early completion of the Otira tunnel, can face such a project with ' the fullest confidence and enterprise, j There will be ample means of disposing of power once it is available and look ‘ ing to the prospects ahead it is the duty of the people of to-day to set about this new enterprise which accomplished will send the district ahead by rapid leaps and bounds.