HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1748, 18 August 1917, Page 3

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

The Uivoo inn in diflieulties in the way of starting the Wellington (Mangahao) hydro-electric. undertaking are money, plant, and labour (says the Post). If the head-works alone be put in hand, (he plant factor heroines small and perhaps negligible, but the other dittieulties remain. Can sufficient labour, skilled and unskilled, be obtained in present circumstances? And can a work of national importance be allowed to compete with war-Avork in a carefully nursed money market? Despite the scarcity of genera! labour and (he depletion of the Public Works Department’s engineering staff, we believe that the first question could be answered in the affirmative, But the main obstacle, and the governing factor, is the money mil look in relation to the war; and this is the real reason for the noncommittal reply of Ministers to the Wellington-Palmerston North-Wan-ganui deputation. Wc do not think dial any fault can be found with the Government for relying upon the obvious defence which the present situation affords. At the saVne time, it is arguable whether all the public work's activities still being continued in the Dominion are in importance comparable with (he comm.eneemcnt of this hydro-electric installation. No one wishes to see the undertaking compete with warwork, but is it not entitled to a place in such expenditure as is still deemed'lit and proper for the fourth year of the war.’ If relative values were weighed, there would not be room for very much difference of opinion.