HARNESSING STREAMS FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3728, 6 December 1906, Page 3

HARNESSING STREAMS FOR ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

N.L Fiaxmiliero Association’s

Agitation.

Letter from the Member for the District.

A short time back we published a report of a meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers Association in which the subject of harnessing the streams in this district for generating electricity for motive power for the mills was discussed. It was resolved that the Secretary write to the Member for the district and obtain copies of the reports of surveys made. He has received the following reply Dear Sir. —In reply to your letter of the 26th inst., in which you ask to be supplied with copies of the reports of the surveys made upon the streams in the locality of Manawatu, with respect to the supply of electrical energy and also with certain information as to what would be the cost of obtaining one horse power per day of eight or ten hours, I desire to inform you that I have had an interview with Mr Blow, the Under Secretary for Public Works, upon this matter and he has informed me that the reports furnished to his Department by the engineer who carried out the work of survey in that district are not, at present, available for public circulation as they are still under consideration by the heads of the Department. However, he informs me that the report furnished on the streams in and near Shannon, and the district was distinctly favourable, and he has no doubt that a scheme for the utilisation of the water power will be installed there by the Government as soon as circumstances will allow. This is borne out by a paragraph in the last Public Works Statement laid on the table of the House, relating to the generation of electrical energy, which, as Mr Blow informs me, is practically the embodiment of the Engineer’s report to the Department. This paragraph, which speaks for itself, and which I think should satisfy your association as to the Government’s intention to proceed with the important work of supplying electrical power to the inhabitants of Shannon and Foxton is as follows:

“ A preliminary survey just finished near Shannon, shows that by diverting the Mangahao through the range between its upper valley and the plains, falls from 600 ft up to about 1000 ft, may be got, giving probably 8,000 to 10,000 brake horse power lor alternative schemes. Also about 3000 to 4000 horse power could be got from the Tokomaru stream by storing the water. The water from the two rivers could be utilised in one power house, though at different pressures, which would be advantageous. This power scheme is situated near several centres of population At the combined powerhouse, 11,000 to 12,000

horse power could be obtained.”

With respect to the cost of the supply of power for so many hours per day per b.h. power I am informed that no definite price can be stated at present as the cost per b.h. power will vary in accordance with the amount ot power available from any one particular scheme as, when a large amount of power is obtainable, the cost of collecting the same per b.h. power will be cheaper than where only a much smaller quantity is available, with practicolly the same outlay. In the case of the Mangahao and Tokomaru streams, where from io,ooo to 12,000 b.h. power would be obtainable (which is a comparatively small scheme), the cost would be somewhere about per b.h. power per annum, which will be considerably less than the present cost of steam power, that is, If the power is used continuously throughout the 24 hours of the day and night. As the object of the Department is to promote a using of the power as continuously as possible throughout the day and night, Mr Blow informs me that a scheme is under consideration by which power used during the day will be charged for at a slightly higher rate per hour than that used during the night and usual nonworking hours. The difference, however, will not be very great and I am assured that a cost of .£lO per b.h. power per annum is as nearly correct as it is possible to calculate at the present stage. I send herewith a copy of the report on the utilisation of water power which was laid on the table of the House last Session by the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, in which you will notice that a table is set out (which I have marked in ink) showing the exact cost to the Government of supplying one brake horse power per annum from the several schemes of different sizes and importance. The Clarence scheme which, with an available power supply of 30,000 b.h. power is the largest therein set down, works out at an actual working cost to the Government of 7s 6d per b.h. power with an increase in price per b.h. power from the other schemes according. to their comparative smallness. You will observe by the report of my speech in Hansard No. 19, page 489* October 23rd 1906, that I did, my in the Honse, impress upon the Hon. the Minister ilor Public Works, the great nei-

cessity for developing Shannon water scheme with the greatest expedition as I believed the power in the locality would be readily utilised by the mill owners there and in the sorrounding district When further developments have taken place in this matter and the whole scheme is in working order, I shall be pleased to furnish you with more definite details in connection therewith. —Yours Truly, John Stevens.