MANGAHAO HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2806, 4 November 1924, Page 3

MANGAHAO HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

OFFICIAL OPENING YESTERDAY CONSUMMATION OF GREAT NATIONAL AVORK. The Ministerial Party, which included members of the Legislative Council and Members of the House of Representatives, arrived at Shannon at 10.10 a.m. yesterday, anh were received by the Mayor, Mr AA 7 . Murdoch, who extended to the visitors the civic honours of the town. The party then proceeded to Manga ore power-house where, the machinery and general appointments were inspected. Following the inspection, Mr .T. Linklater, M.P., introduced the Prime Minister and in the course of his remarks emphasised The importance of the Mangahao undertaking from the national point of view, and proceeded to pay tribute to Mr Massey for the energy and zeal he had displayed during his 60 years in the House, in matters of public welfare. In his capacity of Finance Minister lie had been generous yet judicious, and as Prime Minister, he had proved himself strong and capable. The speaker also praised the work of Hon. J. G. Coates in his capacity of Minister for Public AVorks, and attributed the healthy financial position of this department to his administration. The Prime Minister, after acknowledging the reception accorded him, thanked the Public AA r orks Department. for the opportunity of being present, congratulated the people upon the completion of the work at Mangahao and said that in the years to come it whs going to he one of the most important links in ii chain of electrical undertakings which were to constitute a general scheme for the Dominion. It was the key to the system and was a milestone in the road of progress over which New Zealand was steadily, if not rapidly travelling. The Prime Minister proceeded !o refer to several of the larger public works in New Zealand and outlined the almost, phenomenal success which l*as attended the operation of tin Otirn Tunnel, and the Lake Coleridge scheme. Another advance move was the commencement of the Arapuni work, and Air Massey thought it was -the duty of the people and of the Government to see that the work was carried on till every industry in every part of the country was receiving the benefit of light, heat, power, from the works which had been commenced Or were in the first stages of their construction. The Arapuni scheme would develop 1(10,000 h.p. while the AVaikaremoaiui undertaking would generate power to many thousand h.p. Lt was pleasing to learn also that it was expected to supply the city of AVellington with power from Mangahao before Christmas.

One of the most successful of the electrical schemes in the Dominion was (lie Ilora Hora which had been acquired by the Government from the Waihi Goldmining Co. .Many‘local authorities, Mr Masse v continued, were generating electric power for (hemsfflves, and while at one time the Government thought il was a good thing to have a monopoly in this respect, this view bad recently been changed. “\\ T e look forward,” concluded the Prime Minister, “to the time when electricity will be one of the main factors in the prosperity of the country and happiness of the people. We do not, know yet what electricity is going to do.” He recalled the forecast of the Hebrew prophet who said “Chariots will jostle each other in the streets; they shall sing like turtles; they shall run like lightning.” and declared that this prediction must assuredly have been the earliest forecast of electric power. The Minister for Public Works, in a brief discourse, explained that the power station which was about to be opened, would turn out about 24,000 h.p., although if only light rains were experienced, this would probably not be so great. The headworks would cost about one million •pounjjg* and the transmission system another million, although of the latter sum only £OOO,OOO would he charged to Mangahao, the balance being placed against, other undertakings of a similar nature. Mangahao would supply Napier ' with power in order to assist in building up a load for the Waikaremoana scheme, for it was considered that this undertaking should not he proceeded with unless a load was assured. The Government virtually said to the people: “If you take the power we will generate the electricity,” this principle obtaining in the South as well as in the North.

Mangahao was the largest scheme that had so far been developed in the Dominion, though the duplication of the Coleridge system would mean the generation of 30,000 li.p., and Arapuni, when installed, would have a capacity of 40,000 k.w. Nothing could be done, however, without adequate finance, and the speaker was grateful to Mr Massey for his generosity- as Minister of Finance in providing money for the various works. ’ _ If the Government had allowed private enterprise to control electrical undertakings, it would he found that power would be supplied to the more thickly populated areas only, hut it was the intention of the Government to serve he backblockei as well as the city dweller. The small plants would continue to operate, but these would later be absorbed and used as feeders to the large main scheme which would eventually be evolved. Great difficulties had beset the path of those working on the Mangahao construction —perhaps the greatest that had been experienced on any scheme of

its kind —and the completed result was a tribute to the tenacity of those in charge. The Minister traced the moves which had led to the adoption of the Mangahao scheme, and accredited Sir AYilliam Fraser with the final recommendation to the Government. which had influenced the decision. to proceed with the work. He mentioned tin* accidents which had occurred and expressed his intention to have recorded on a scroll the names of those who had lost their lives in service. lie exhorted the Boards, to proceed with the reticulation and the people to assist, in giving credit for loan money for public works. Mr Coates then turned the wheel which let the water to the turbines, and Mr Massey switched on the power.

The Prime Minister was presented .by Mr Kiss,ll (Chief Government Electrician) with a golden key, and Mr Coates was made the recipient of a silver cigarette case, Mr Murdoch making the presentation.