The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1919. ELECTRIC POWER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10282, 17 May 1919, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1919. ELECTRIC POWER

Before entering into any discussion of the merits of various public works proposed) it-is necessary to realise the. outstanding fact. That is the fact that installation of electric power is the only one which offers a direct profit from the start. ’ Roads only offer indirect profits, substantial, of course, and jnotifying expenditure, but they do not help the necessary financing. Railways do offer, in. addition to indirect advantage, the solid benefit of profit. But in their case this benefit must wait on time. What that may mean we know from the experience of this Dominion. It is forty-nine years since the great public works policy —wo are not referring to the provincial railways—turned the sod for the first railway track, and the railway system has practically only just begun to make profits enough to cover the cost of the railway finance. Electric power installation is in marked contrast. The first installation is not yet completed, and its direct profits are already adequate. Therefore, completion of electric installation all over the Dominion may ho expected to give the same result. About the main centres of population—not only the chief four but several of the country and seaport towns —there is no doubt. Moreover,' the profit expected is not confined to the present scope of the instalment, which has already justified itself by direct profit. The nature of the installations is: such that they are enabled to offer light, heat, and power to" every farm steading and the cottage of every peasant and every worker. The agent can be applied not only ns power in tillage, but also for fertilising purposes, as the experience of many countries proves. There is likewise the supply of nitrates which is only awaiting the magic touch of the harnessed current to be sent over the world broadcast, providing great and steady revenue, ever mounting upwards. There are the railways waiting to take current. Whether the change of electricity is possible at once everywhere with profit may be doubtful now, though it is safe to leave that question to time. But there are grades and curves which would certainly do better with electric power, and there are several deviation problems which electric power would greatly simplify. On the whole, there is no disputing the fact that the harnessing of the water power of the Dominion is the one work which offers the heat direct results. It is an advantage almost incalculable. The agent, once installed, is subject to less disturbance' than any other. The chief notable cause of disturbance is drought. This represents a possibility rarer than in any other country. The necessary safeguard is storage of the water. Nature has done most of that with the various fine lake systems of this fortunate country. There are places where the engineer will have to apply artificial storage, and for that work there is every encouragement in the configuration and geological structure of the country. Once the supply is assured against droughts there is no more difficulty about its working than there is in the turning of a few wheels. Wages, «ost of living, inordinate profits, problems of manufacture, transport, distribution, sale—all these are nothing to the harnessed giant able'and willing to work without fatigue from morning till night and from night till morning. As tor the vexed question of overtime, that settles jtself in scientific fashion, easy of

comprehension, automatic in worsn.-g, indisputable in conclusiveness. There is withal the undisturbed advantage of cheapness. Moderate charges will obtain from the widest possible field of use profit enough to pay every cost, to take every precaution, to renew in time, and, if necessary, to pay. for scrapping old inventions in favour of new.

The case for a vigorous, forward, .comprehensive policy of harnessing is j very strong. The difficulties in the Iway are of finance, of labour shortage, of high cost of material, and of difficulty of obtaining material at all. As the Mayor of Napier said recently, it the country can borrow ,50 millions for war, it can surely borrow five for peace —and, wo may add, a most directly profitable peace purpose. it happens, however, that there is a sum of fifteen millions in cash at the Dominion's credit in London. That disposes of the finance difficulty. The shortage of labour is removing itsell every day. The material difficulty will yield to time, and whatever time may be necessary —it cannot be long enough for a prohibitive bugbear—can bo filled up with the preliminary work required before the material can be put in. It remains only to consider the supreme and controlling authority. There can be but one —the Government. The Government has understanding of the whole subject, and possesses the staff, the organisation, and the influence required in a greater degree than any other possible authority. The Government doing the work as a whole can prevent the loss and weakening of diversions for smaller private schemes. Lastly, the Government is the guardian of all the interests involved, and is entitled to the profits which must be always kept moderate and can never be allowed to* bulge the pockets ot profiteers at the public expense. -