HORAHORA HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

Matamata Record, Volume III, Issue 119, 13 February 1919, Page 3

HORAHORA HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

Conference at Hamilton. The conference held at Hamilton on Wednesday to discuss the Horahora hydro-electric scheme was largely attended, representatives from all parts of the Waikato, Thames Valley, King Country and the Auckland suburbs being present. The chairman referred to the remarks of the Mayor of Auckland on the matter. He felt that Mr Gunson did not realise the position as they did. If they had ,• to inaugurate an entirely new scheme then possibly it would be better to have a North Island scheme. But at Horahora there a plant running and only utilising a proportion of its power., It was an economic loss which it was sought to convert in the shortest time to a gain. The principal theme of the parlier portion of the discussion .was whether the Government should be asked to acquire Hora- . hora and sell the current, or whether a Power Board should be set up. Mr F. W. Strange (Ohinemuri) proposed that the Government be asked to acquire Horahora as an instalment of the major scheme. Speaking to his motion he said the current available from Horahora was only a drop in the i bucket of the province’s require- ** ments. It had been estimated that in the Thames Valley there were 1,200 oil engines used. Mr Roche (Cambridge) replying to a question, said that by damming the river above Cambridge another 20,000 h.p. could be obtained. The power at Horahora was not sufficient to go round, and he opposed the motion, urging the establishment of a Power Board. Horahora was not any part of Mr Parry’s scheme. It might be usefully included, but was really no part of the major scheme. If the Government was asked to take Horahora first and then go on with Arapuni other districts would say: “ You have done so much for Auckland, now you must do something for us.” The result would be that Horahora would be taken, then the other district schemes would be developed, and ■ finally the Government would r take iti hand Arapuni. He urged setting-up a Power Board and fihd|m*f : tke money to acquire Horahora. Then there was no excusetfor the Government to make, and the Auckland province could claim the putting in hand the Arapuni scheme. »Mr Veale (Cambridge), moved »an amendment that a Power Board be set up under the provisions of the 1918 Act. Considerable discussion took place as to 'the wording of the - motion, and it was finally agreed by the mover to make it read: ‘‘That as the first step in the Arapuni scheme the Government be asked to acquire forthwith Horahora, and to sell the current to local bodies or Power boards.” 1 The motion was carried by 37 to 11. Subsequently it was decided to send a deputation to Wellington, each local body to appoint a dolegate.