MANGAKAO ELECTRIC POWER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1940, 15 February 1919, Page 2

MANGAKAO ELECTRIC POWER.

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR A SERIOUS MATTER.

Mr W. IT, Picld, M.P., has been endeavouring to extract from (lie Minister of Public Works (Sir William Eraser) a definite statement as to when the power from the Mangahao hydro-electric scheme will be available. To this end he forwarded to the Minister a letter which staled “The people in the Manawatu district are enquiring almost daily when the Government proposes to proceed with the undertaking, and bow long it will be before power is available. Two towns between here and Palmerston North, namely, the Shannon Borough and the Olakr Town Boanl. are in urgent need of electric light, and the last-named body has in contemplation an expenditure of a large sum to install light, apart altogether from Mangahao proposals, because of the uncertainly as to Avhen power from Mangahao will be available. It seems a pity that they should do Ibis if they can look Tor (he power in the comparatively near future. 4 shall bo glad if you could furnish me with some definite information which would assist (he two bodies in question in determining what action (hey should lake, and Avhieh Avouhl a( the same time give dairy, llaxmili, and other companies, as Avail as private individuals, some idea when they could expect the long-looked-for poAverw *£) TUB MINISTER’S REPLY. The Minister’s reply was couched in the following terms; —“You Avill realise (hat it is quite impossible for me to state Avhen power will he availahle from the Mangahao electric poAver scheme. This is a mat ter which Avill depend very largely upon Avhat supply of labour will he forthcoming. Moreover, Parliament has only authorised me to do preliminary and experimental Avork on (lie Wellington and Auckland schemes. 1 have given instructions to pul in hand at once (he formation of Ihe road (o where the works will he situated, hut fear it Avill he somewhat difficult to get a gang of suitable men together for this Avork. People seem to imagine that because the war is over, and demobilisation is taking place, therefore there is an, abundance of labour available. Out of all the thousands that have returned I have barely secured mm hundred. It is evident that such of our soldiers avlio him 1 returned so far avlio are (it for physical Avork have been absorbed in the primary industries, such as farming, shearing, and harvesting, all of Avhieh are very late (his season. I hope, lioavevor, this stale of 1 hinges Avill soon change Avhen the Main Body comes back, but even so I do not expect to lie rushed Avilli applications for employment. I will lose no opportunity, however, of pushing this work on as soon as it is possible to do so.” V.