PROPOSED ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 677, 13 June 1914, Page 5

PROPOSED ELECTRICAL RAILWAY.

9 WAIRERE FALLS SCHEME. 1 GOVERNMENT EXPERT'S OPINION. The proposal to utilise the Wairere Palls on the Mokau river for the purpose of developing energy to inatal an eletrical railway from Te Kuiti to the out districts, is the subject of a letter from the Minister of Public Works to the chairman of the Waitomo County Council in the following terms: — "Referring to the representations made by yourself and the county cierk. when you interviweed me on 10th February last, Bnd mentioned a proposal to construct a light railway along the Te Kuiti-Awakino road, to be operated by electric power developed at the Wairere Falls, on the Mokau river, I have the honour to inform you that the Chief Electrical Engineer has submitted a report on the proposal, from which it appears that the cost of developing energy at the Falls, up to about 2000 horse power, would involve an outlay of about £400,00. With the limited data available, Mr Parry is not certain that the river is capable of developing the horse power mentioned throughout the year and before incurring any liability in the matter, your Cour.cil Bhould settle this point by arran| ing with a resident of the locality 3 take daily observations of the height of. Ihe river over a period of least twelve months, so that the minimum flow can be ascertained. "Having regard to the probable volume of freight to be carried over the suggested line, it would appear from tfle Engineer's investigations that steam would be the moat suitable form of haulage, were it not for the heavy grades on the road between Pio Pio and Te Kuiti. It would be worth your Council's while to consider whether i) would not be preferable to expend the money which would be required for water power development on reducing the gradients on the road, so as to permit of the construction of a light railway to be operated by steam locomotives. —W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works."