POWER SUPPLY

Marlborough Express, Volume LXVIII, Issue 148, 25 June 1934, Page 5

POWER SUPPLY

NELSON DISTRICT SCHEME. COMPANY PROPOSED.

' Express Special Service.

NELSON, June 25. . Last month the Waimea Electric Power Board requested the Government to consider the harnessing of the Cobb river for a supply of bulk power to the Nelson district or alternatively grant a licence to a private company which proposed to installx a hydro station providing suitable arrangements could be made with the local authorities. The board has now received from -the Prlme Minister a letter stating that on certain conditions the Gove'rn ment would grant a licence t o the Hume Pipe Company. The Prime Minister 's letter stated: "The. conditions will embody the Government's usual conditions governing licences to develop electric power and will, in addition, contann special conditions safegucrding the interests of the power boards eoncerned. These special conditions will cover such things as date of completion, price of bulk supply, selling rights, and right of purchase, which have been discussed by you with the proposed licensee and then with the Government. When. we heair from the company that it is prepared to take up the licence on these general terms, ,a formal draft licence will be prepared and will be submitted for vour perusal before final issue." The Power Board has written ro the company atsking that a detailed sehemo be prepared. as soon as possible in view of the necessary extensions to various schemes. in the district. Discussing the possibility of a .district scheme the Mayor or Nelson (Mr W. J. Molfatt) said that Nelson as the chief eentre ofj population In the districc was naturally interested in anything that tended towards the progress of the surround.ing country areas upon which the city was largely dependent for its prosperity. Tne City Couneil realised that the whole question of electric energy for the combined city and country districts would in all probability come up for consider ation. This, however, might soon resolve itself into a policy matter apd he preferred to leave any statement in that direction for the couneil itself. At the same time, however, it could be said that the couneil realised that cheap elcctrical energy was of very general importance to both city and district, and he felt sure the couneil w*ould co-operate fully in any scheme put for ward provided it was in the" best interests of the people..