PROGRESS OF ELECTRICITY.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1925, Page 4

PROGRESS OF ELECTRICITY.

~ 1 DEVELOPMENT REVIEWED. WELLINGTON, August 3. The Prime Minister attended a confore nee of power bourd and other elec-

trical supply authority engineers this morning and gave an interesting account of the progress of clectricty in New Zealand in recent years. A warm tribute to the services of Mr Coates in the development of elcctricty, the work of power boards and the constitution of the Power Board Engineers’ Association was paid by tho chairman, Mr H. E. Toogood. The Prime Minister said, at the outset, that no country could be developed without engineers and New Zealand must appreciate that though a small country, it had huge developments before it. Every engineer had heavy responsibility before him. In the long run he was a business man with a special line of business. Personally. he attached the utmost importance to having tho very best engineers engaged in development work. ” Since 1921, said Air Coates, electrical lines had increased by 39-1 per cent In 1921 the supply of electricity amounted to 49,000 k.w. This had risen to (5(5.000 k.w. in 1921 and, ill 1925. to 00.000 k.w., a very substantial growth. The capital expenditure, including that of power hoards. Government operations and local authorities in 1921 was £3.000.000. in 1924 £7.800.009. and in 1925 it had reached over £9,000,000. The Government did find a little difficulty at times ! with local authorities. There was ■sometimes a difference between power board engineers and municipal engineers. and the Government was callid i,, as a buffer State—an unenviable state. He hoped that, in future, they would be aide to settle those difficulties among themselves without calling him in as umpire. ! There were people, said the Prime Minister, wlm were inclined to think thov were proceeding rather too rapidly with the development of electricity. N'o doubt they had made errors of judgment in the past. They now saw that they might have undertaken some development works in a (liffeicnt 1 way. There was also the question of ‘whether development should he hy local authority in the district where the power was situated, or whether it should be by the State. Properly supported, big schemes would prove

successful ami a benefit to the whole community. They had a different opinion. of course, as to whether some local schemes should he started. Perhaps. after the delay of a year or so. Government development would bring to a local area supply of electricity. “But." said the prime Minister, “both the Government and local schemes cannot go on as they like. It must l-e one or the other. Continuous development is still going nil with larger schemes, mid it is quite apparent that, sooner or later, one will he cutting the other's throat. It may he all right. Apparently, from the local consumer's point of view, competition is the life of trade, hut. on the other hand, if big development is faced with permanent losses the tfnxpayer will have to la i e the cost of interest, sinking fund and depreciation. The Prime Minister urged the advantage. of a larger conception oi a well designed and thought out scheme planned on a purely national basis. “I am perfectly satisfied. 11 he said, “that the schemes we have in hand will prove a thorough success. I believe that New Zealand, in a lew years, will he unique as regards the supply of electricity, unique in regard to the size and dimensions designed to meet general requirements. It will tie possible to deliver electricity in quite remote parts of the country by reason of the fact that we have endeavoured. in our policy, to link up the interests of town and country, to make it possible, by remunerative supply and demand, to give electricity to thinly populated areas.’’ Mr Cent as hoped they would lie able to see eye to eye with Government development plans and ensure their success. They had iiiul'i'taken large schemes and they would he finished. They were anxious to do away with conflicting interests so far as possible. What they had to aim at was the best possible regulations in the interest of tinman safety. He hoped they would he able to bring down a set of regulations that would satisfy the electrical engineer, and, in this way. they would play a very important part in the development of New Zealand.