A LIBERAL ENTERPRISE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8361, 22 February 1913, Page 4

A LIBERAL ENTERPRISE

Tho ratepayers of Christchurch have by a huge majority authorised the borrowing of £120,000 in order that the city may take advantage of the works put in hand by the Government to obtain electric current by utilising the water power at Lake Coleridge. From all appearances, Canterbury’s capital city stands to be the pioneer and very substantial gainer from the great water-power scheme inaugurated by the last Liberal Government. Time alone can, of course, show the real benefits of this big national undertaking, the possibilities of which are so very far-reaching m tbo realm of industry, for example. It will bo remembered that when the legislation authorising this enterprise was before the House of Representatives the selfstyled Reformers condemned it as a “wild-oat scheme” and attempted to strangle it at its birth by way of a motion to strike out the item ot £500,000 which the Bill.empowered the Government to raise “with a view of inserting other words.” The Mayor of. Christchurch, in a manifesto to the ratepayers on the eve of the poll on the loan proposals, said: “The cost ot this energy purchased from the Government will be £12,585 per annum, or £4. IQs per horse-power per annum. If the same energy was generated by producer gas, the annual cost would be £18,170, or £6 9s 8d per horsepower. If produced by steam the annual cost would be £20,383, or £7 0s od per horse-power. By crude oil the annual cost would be £29,414, or £lO 10s per horse-power per annum.” The ratepayers responded to the call, thus expressing faith, in the enterprise starts ed under Liberalism despite the obstruction of the Conservatives. This seems to us to constitute another wellmerited lesson to “Refoim,”