Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1920.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1920.

POWER POSSIBILITIES. 'The interview members of tlie local body, controlling .the Westland lower scheme lmd with Mr Templin this week will serve to centre a good deal of attention to the power possibilities of 'he district, The northern portion of the Westland County is to be declared an inner area for the supply of power by the Electric Board to be set up. It is unfortunate in some ways that it is not possible to include the Borough of Hokitika in the area as the town would he a considerable consumer. The local authority however has an excellent contract for street lighting, and a limited amount of light and energy will be available for the town also for other purposes; This arrangement reduces the possible business of the Power Board, at all events at -the outset and .the county scheme is dwarfed to that extent. However Mr Templin has shown from experience elsewhere, that given the power, the people will use it. It seems to be of great service to the farmers of other communities, while for other industries it is .idaptable in quite a remarkable way, and comes to be used in various ways. . For home service electric light and power are especially adaptable and its introduction here is likely to be popular from the outset with housewives who will find their labour lightened and their tasks performed so much quicker by the use of electricity. The main thing to -do just now, however, is not to speculate on what might be done, but to decide wliat can bo done. Mr' Templin has called for a report (1) as to the power (steam or otherwise) now used in il-e area proposed to be served, and (2) the electric power which would il>o taken to supplant or supplement the steam or ather power in use. A power simply map is to bo prepared, indicating the location of the various works or premises where power will be used, and with bis information available, the estimated initial coat of the undertaking will be determined. This s', ip does not lecide necessarily the position of the site for the hydraulic development. That is another branch of engineering in which information will be required ilso as to the estimated amount of lower to be required for the district, rhe usable power should be eoKsiderible. It ia not unlikely that sawmdr ing will require a large supply of power. As a sa winder remarked yesterday, the electric iwnill will be the mill of the future on ibis Coast. Power in adequate qunn;ity will require to lie provided for awmills as time goes on. Then there s mining. For this purpose the uses if electricity are varied, and a; demand vill come. In fact if cheap power is ibtainable for mining, advantage will ie taken to use it in various ways. But or th e presont there is,of course, no asured market. Cheap power will «i>ourage also the creation of new industries. That is the experience else I'here,. and the enterprise of the people if the Dominion is not likely to be eliind other countries. The most stable narket will be the fanning districts, •hile a demand is sure to grow in eonection with the sawmilling industry, 'he project so founded should get a sir start and it will grow quickly. If < he Kumara water supply could be uti- i sed by purchase or leas© there would e tire foundation for a scheme v hich i ould be undertaken economically, V- ’ a use the bead works would not involve largo outlay—the source of pow> r i in action already. It is understood j he Public Works Department as veil s private enterprise lias looked into the tilisation of the water race as a pas'ble source for supply power and that j eing so, enquiry could elicit a good eal of preliminary information on the ibjcct of the initial cost for linrnesnrr the water The source is so situntI that it would command power busiess north as well as south, and would i 3 a useful auxiliary at any time should r ime of the major schemes of Westland I ime to pass. At the moment it ap- a »ars to he the most favorable sourv of t ipply to be tapped at a. reasonable i isfc, and capable of supplying the tie- %

numd dufifig the period immediately ill sight. Its presence as a source of power seems to assure power being acquired for the district within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost.