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Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1924, Page 2

Anotiiku angle to H’e power situation, which il is not too early to discuss, is the growing appreciation of the value of this super-power “at the source.” In brief the comm uni lies both within and without the I'nited States where nature placed the means whereby water may he turned to use, are displaying a tendency to reap the advantage by compelling its employment at Home. Thus the Brovin: e of Quebec, across the border, blessed with a total of water power that exceeds anything in the I'nited States, is talking of an export duty on electrical current, and even of prohibition of export in the future. Quebec believes that il cheap power is an attraction, then she is in a position to welcome capital, instead of wasting her best asset on a series of cupper tension wires leading to distant centres. And at that nobody can find fault with the argument. At this moment sonic enormous developments in t'c way of hydro-elect: ie power arc under way in Quebec. James ]J. Duke, one of America's most slid (a sl id capitalists, lias associated himself with the Price lumber inter-

ests in a plan nearing coni|'letioii. lor utilising the tini.itrvJs ol thousands of horse-power at tin* head of the Saguenay, at the (irantl Discharge. I.a he St. John. When finished this will represent an investment of twenty or thirty million dollars, with an assured and constant pro-lit. The Quebec watershed, front the Height of band to the St. Lawrence, oilers dozens of o; ; urtunitic.s for similar development. ami no one has computed the luir.-.c-i'.owci running to waste in the w.-itci., Ilowiog north from the Height of Land to Hudson’s Day. Vltoge.licr Quel ea teems to lie what might he termed a hydio-clccllie pr.radi.se. Then there i.s Labrador, with its Hamilton Kill I.s pitching out of ii two thousand foot plateau, nearly In .sea level, and

numerous oilier rivers that in n civilised or developed country would long ago have been harnessed and put to work. Altogether the next lew years is going to witness some rather interesting possibilities in Ihe way of electrical .power development unless indeed some scientist suddenly nnuemiees that he 'ms di*: even'd Imw to tea,* an atom In | ie* es ami llms have rei-

tied I lie | oner que-lion for over. I tin- in'*:int inn*. !i' "cvi*i*. <oa| prodm **i <lo not seem to la* doing uuioh worn ing. and the priie of fuel, it is cpiit unnecessary to reinaik. i.s .showing discouraging tendency to remain big!

TiiKiti: slioi:ld l»i» a deal <»l’ practical sympathy tin- West Coast "itli t 1 *i* desire of the Nelson l.) st'" till' gap in till' MiilWiiy along tlic Const, Ji ll kiii <r up with Nelson, hridgod. It wonlil In* ungenerous as it would lie unfair not tu re all ami rememln r gratefully tin* part that Nel.suii play ail in thi' iiiitiatiiin of the great scheme involved in tin- .Hast anil West Const railway as ]■ l:i 11 nciI originally. Nelson brains. money anil infliit'iifi* jiliiyi'il a nnta'.!i' pail in ihe I;iimi'lii n«_c iinil financing »•!' tin- primary agitation, ami lor a < onsidorahle time aitenvnrds 1 1;* k a leading ami infiueutial pari in the project up t:> the time ot the acceptance of the niiginal Aliillanil railway contract. That .scheme laid the founilation fur the line as far as it has gone to-day. hut the original (lesion was plnnlivl fur Xelsen to he linked up with the Coast anil CanlerI:nry also. Until the Coast and Canterbury are therelure in holier bound te help Xelsmi attain the railway cuiineclioii which was hoped for. ami worked lor far 100 long. At present the line at the north end is milking its way slowly towards Murchison, a

flourishing agricultural and pastoral < onntry which will he an important I'eeiler to the Nelson line. At the south end, the terminus just at present is at Tiinngnhua .Junction, with u Ministerial promise to push on down Hie Uuller Valley to Westport. This ■did; will require to lie .secured before the line will lie deviated northward by the Under river Valley to Murchison. There is no reason, however, why practical .support should not lie given at tins end to the desire oui the part of Nelson to have the railway to Murchison opened as soon as possible. The 1 riemlly influence nl Xelson was never withheld while the agitation for tho completion of Coast-Canterbury unite was in progress, and the folk who are now enjoying the i onvenience of that section i t the rail.'.vav should he ready t > ( o-oj orate with th*' people of Xelson in their strong request to the (loverimient to have the railway gap on the Coast railway lino tilled in as quickly as possible. As part of the original s; heme on which the project was launched and financed, and represented to he essential to the national development, there should he every readiness at this end to lend the Nelson people the fullest support in their agitation for consideration at this juncture.

Tin: All Blacks have continued their victorious career in Wales where they were expected to have their most trying games. Swansea was accounted as easily as unexpectedly, but Newport proved foemen worthy of the visitors’ steel. The account, of the Xewi.ort game shows that ihe All Blacks had a magnificent reception, and received fair play at the hands of the multitude present. The report of the game is both fair and impartial, and gives credit where credit is due. It must come home to folk now that i’'e harder the game, the more stubborn is the defence of the All Blacks. On every occasion when pressure lias come the visitors have been able to stall oft I the aggressors. Tin’s was specially so in the Newport match where the defence was sound. It is the liest test of football to rise to the occasion which emergency creates, and in that regards tho present team is doing well. The

gn me on Thursday would he hard and gruelling, and some of the star players came in for some hard knocks. It is to he hoped ail will be well for the mid-county match at Leicester today. before invading the north oT .England, where the team is fixed to play next week.