Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1920, Page 2

I'm*; proposal to establish an Elejfric Power Board for Westland is now being advanced step by step. The aroi suggested is from the Teromakau river in the north, to the Mikonui river in the south. The proposed area contains about 1100 ratepayers, and a petition is about to be circulated asking lor the creation of a Power Board under the Act. The petition must he signed by not less than one-fourth of the ratepayers, and when that stage is reached the Board would appoint its officers, including a capable electrical enginee’ - , to' go into a scheme suitable for tlie district and its wants. 'Thereafter the provision of the money would he by a poll of the ratepayers for a loan in tlie

ordinary way relating to loan polls , The first step then is the signing of the petition, the prayer of which is to have the district gazetted, and power given to elect a board. Looking to the ox- • periences of other districts, the enter- j prise is one which should commend itself to the ratepayers as a whole. Kv-’ eiits in "Westland are shaping their course just now in such a way as to j indicate that a new era is dawning. For | the sale of the power which can lie I provided there is no doubt that the j demand will exist. A visiting A us- j tralian last week said he would be pre-i pared to take several thousand horse- 1 power. The gentleman did not stale j the precise purpose for which the power i was to be used, but looking to bis pro- I fession we should say it was a phase of i mining hitherto dormant in this district.

Mining developments would undoubtedly’ create demands for a large supply of power. What is possible in this direction will be demonstrated very shortly by the large electrically driven dredge to work Rimu Flat. Other phases of mining such as the treatment of tailings for the extraction of gold previously unrecovered, will also provide a demand. In other industries, we can expect sawmilling operations to consume a large amount of power. Electric power is very adaptable for this purpose, and the mills within an easy radius of the power station are sure to lie large consumers of power. For traction purposes also quantities' of power will be required. The product of the mills whether transported over roads or tramways, could lie hauled very cheaply, bv electric power. AH the farms within touch of tlie power line would find uses for electric power to work milking machines or drive other machines about the premises, and for lighting up the buildings and premises electric light would be readily availed of. The time will come when if we do not have branch railways into the foot-hills running up the valleys, light tramways will lie in operation for general transport faeailities, and electric power will lie absorbed for that purpose. Then there will be the new sources of consumption to arise. Here with so much timber available, manufactnrfes of various kinds could be profitably entered upon. Other industrial developments could be safely reckoned as likely to ensue, and in the end there is every reason to believe the electric epoch for Wostland will be an age of remarkable industrial development. • If the people have faith in themselves and faith in their own district which for over half a century has survived the vicissitudes of its remoteness and isolation, there need be no holding back now.' For with the of the Otirn tunnel, tho progress of settlement, the certainty of the expansion of the timber industry, and the general prosperity-—foreshadowed by’ the district coming into its own an assured future is opening lip. There is a tide in tlie affairs of a country’. The flood tide promises now. Tt is for the people to set about helping themselves and take advantage of the favouring flow. One way to achieve the provincial progress we would all fain see envelope Westland, is to initiate a power board—and that opportunity is to be given the people almost immediately. Will they do something to help themselves? Their’s is the opportunity, and their action the answer.