HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17686, 25 July 1919, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME.

• •&. CONTKRENCE OF PUBLIC BODIES. A BSC UNDERTAKING. PRACTICALLY LAUNCHED. A conforenoo of local bodies in Otago, promoted by the Otago Jixpansion League, was hold in die Town Hall yesterday. Mr C. Todd (president of the Expansion League) wtis in tlie cliair, and tlioro were about 50 representatives of various bodies in Otago present. The. proceedings lasted u.ll day. Iho purpose of tho couiorenco was to consider and move in tho matter of establishing hydro-electric power with or without the liiu of this Government. Tho Chairman, in opening tho conference, welcomed tho delegates, and commented on the fact that , lie noticed that tJio C'hitha Valley was strongly represented. I'he war was over, but they wero going to have some serious problems to faco in tho future. They had incurred a. serious debt in New Zealand, and the interest on the sinking fund must bo paid. They wore told that if they wore goiu# to pay this dobt and sinking fund interest they must produce more- wealth. If Now Zealand was going to produce more wealth they must give the men hydro-electric energy, and then they would increase their wealth threefold, ar.cl in a very short time. Tho financial aspect was a serious one, but, as the lion. Mr Russell said in Ti mo.ru tho other day, if tho war had continued ior another yoar they would havo had to find a million .x in.,i.th to carry it through, if they c.aiid lind a million a month—and ho was sure they could do so—then they could surely iind enough money in seven or eight years—lo or 12 millions, which was the estimated cost of tho constructive works. Again, Sir Joseph Ward had heaped up in London 15 millions of our surpluses which had accrued ojuring war time. What better use could that money be put to than in producing hydro-electric energy for the whcje of New Zealand? If Australia or America had some of tho extraordinary cheap producing wator-powor they had in this dominion it would have been used long ago, and would not have been allowed to waste, as was tho •case here. They had got over tho experimental stage. They had the Waipori electric works, which had. proved u profitable proposition. Lake Colcricigo (Canterbury) was also linked up, and .was now on a paving basis, and no doubt when other big works wero linked up they would all be paying their way and would enable the pooplo to produce more wealth. They could produce rnoro wealth, but what was wanted was cheaper power and more poople in this country.—(Applause.) Tho coal question seemed tobe ono of tho great problems ot tho age. They wore not troing to get men to go down in-the pits to hew coal at tho old rates. Electricity by water-power could bo produced at half tho rates it cost to produeo coal, and another splendid thing was that water never went out on strike—it kept sromg.—(Hear, hear.) If they produced electricity and cut up their land.i into reasonable holdings Otago would go ahead, as tho land .hero was second to none in New Zealand. Central Otago could grow lucerne with any part of tho world, and it wanted only to bo put in in a practical way. Chean electrical power would enable them to pump water from tho Molyncux. and a really good living could be made in growing fruit, lucerne, clover, and vegetable seeds on 10 or 12 acres. If electrical energy was put to its best use they would have thousands of people in Otago Central. If tho Government would not help then they must go on their own. They had cabled to Sir Joseph Ward in London to provide £1.000,000 to go on with, tho same as he had done for Southland, and he had arranged it.—(Applause.) Ho (the speaker) thought that the Government should provide the head works and the main distri-

butiiiß lines, and leave it to the local bodies to do their own reticulation. He considered that if proper pressure, were brought to bear on members of Parliament and the Cabinet they would agree to that. In the South Island they were up against this: That tho North Island was goinir to be provided for before this part of the dominion. "Well, they were not "Oing to submit to that.—(Applause.) They wanted the same amount of money spent in the South Island, so that,

the works hero could go on simultaneously with those of the North Island. The Ex- ; pansion League was going right out to make this its strong objective. It was going ior hydroelectric power—cheap power, which would enable them to do a thousand and ono things impossible for them to do to-day.—(Applause.) He had pleasure }]} moving the following resolution:— Inat this meeting, representative of Ir.al bodies, semi-public organisations, and citizens, reaffirm the urgent necessity (it. rhe interests of the province of Ofcig-o) of the immediate utilisation of hydro-oU?ctric energy, and that the Government be requested and urged to give every possible assistanoa in the carrying out of a scheme to give effect to this resolution; that in view of the satisfactory reply received from Sir Joseph Ward to the cablegram sent by the Otago Expansion League dealing with (ii:anco, the time has now arrived for definite action, and it is resolved that the necessary data be prepared covering a scheme tj supply the necessities of the province as a -who!®; that in order to deal promptly and effectively with the forogoimr resolution, an executive committee- be appointed to prepare a detailed and concrete report for submission to all local bodies and semipublic organisations, such committee to be empowered to arrange for any professional or other services which may bo found necessary and to appeal to local bodies, other organisations, and private citizens to provide the necessary preliminary expenses (It is estimated that a maximum of £500 will bo sufficient to cover engineering and professional advico and travelling expenses etc ; , in obtaining the necessary data.) ' The Chairman said power had bseii given the local bodies to subscribo to the funds of the- Expansion League, and by such subscriptions the league would be enabled to get the information required. They woro not pinning their faith to Ha-wca-Wanaka. but would be guided by the very best advico. All they sought was the most economical source. Personally, however, bo thought Haivea-WanaJoi. would nroduco the cheapest power in New Zealand. Mr J. Loudon seconded the motion and said ho understood that tba tonns arranged by Sir Joseph Ward as to a loan were satisfactory. The legislation passed last session enabled electric power boards to be set up. It also gave authority to borrow for the works, and the power to rate under the Local Bodies Loan Act. The third important provision was tho right of the Government to acquire any works constructed on giving 12 months' notice, and •without paying any goodwill. This last

provision was a fair one, for they were not out for individual profit, but to make the wholo dominion more prosperous was an idea in some quarters that the City Council was ogainst the extension, but ho thought this was not so. Mr Shaddock had done more for the department than any other man in Dunedin. and though ho did not (in tha view of the speaker) take a broad enough view of the needs of tho province his heart would be in'any scheme to provide cheap and flexible power for tho whob province. Top or 11 years ago, tho first year of Waipon, the department had a IOSS $*%?*'' h l 1918 " 19 tho net Profit was £15,696 and tho gross revenue £S0 000 Ho hoped that when tho scheme was decided upon all difference as to tho best source would be buried, and Otago would show a united front. In conclusion, Mr Loudon touched briefly upon tho many industries which would revive with eheari power, 'aero would, ho said, bo a rccrud-l cenco of mining that would yield greTrt wealth; and Central Otago. ono of tho best seed-prowing araas in New ZeakuiA would go ahead by leaps and bounds Mr J. Ingl;« Wright confined most of his remarks to the success that had attended the bouthland scheme for tho installation oJ electneal power there. Ho said there a fruaranteo fund had first been raised to cover expenses; then an estimate had boon got of tho approximate cost to the consumer of certain services. Then they divided and subdivided Southland into blocks and appointed men to canvass such blocks to secure a contract with each farmer at a hxed pnro for tho supply of power. The h£ure3 showed tho astonishing result that 80 per cont. of tho farmers of Southland were subscribing to tho scheme; and this was quiteH-rospectivo of boroughs and local •ooclice. lniß success at their vorv doors ought to encourage to quick action. What placo would Otago occupy in a few years with the whole of Southland and tho wholo of Canterbury electrified? Instant action was essential. Mr S. B. M'Donald referred to Mr Craigies remarks at a conference at limaru. That gentleman bad stated thai the war having -ndod six months earlier than expected, Now Zealand hnd' sivrvl of ±,15,000,000 amassed on produce It was. therofore, absurd to say that thcro -wne no monoy for olectrification of Ufa -wtota q£

New Zealand. Tho Hon. Mr Russell, who v.-.-is heart and soul for (ho welfare of -Now Zealand, had stated at Timaru somo nimgs that were rather startling, as showing the drift to tho north. Ho said tliat, whil(. in 1371 tin, population of tho North Island was SO.OOO as against tho South's 169,000, in 1901 it was 390.000 as asainst tho Sotith's 582,000, and in 1016 651,000 as against 143,000. Jf now tho whole of tho jNortli Island was to have hydro-electric energy before the South, how'much more pronounced would bo tho drift northwards? Ouncdm would drop presently from tho loiirth to the sixth placo in Now Zealand, and unless wo Iwetirred ourselves now to put this scheme into operation it would take Diinedin 25 years of light later on to recover place. Another startling statement by the Hon. Mr Russell was that tire total agricultural population of Now Zetland was only .1.10,000. Hydro-electric energy, by its increase of productivity and its amelioration of country life, would increase agricultural population. Mr S. T. Spain (Vincent County Council), .speaking of Otago Central, said there they had tho climate and the land second to none, and with water Central Otago could produce almost anything. As tho chairman iiad said, they could produce lucerne second to none in any p-irt of tho world. Dairying also hud grout prospects in that district. Mr M. Cohen, who spoke at tho invitation of tho chairman, advocated "getting to work." If the Government would not do its duty towards tho people of Otago, then lot the people of Otago do thoir duty to themselves. They could not afford to lose population as they had done during the last 10 years, and they must utilise their resources to tho utmost. In Australia they were taking advantage of every stream winch could l>e utilised for electrical energy. He was satisfied that no finer country than Central Otago existed in the world both for the growing of fruit .and lucerne. tl Mr i.. J - , Bonnct t* (Roxburgh) said ho thought that at last they wero on the right lines for tho development of tho province. Let them get to action and do something-. Money just now seemed to he verv plentiful. It was only talked of in millions at. present Let them get the money and So on with the works. In Central Otago they had land second to none in tho world for certain particular lines in fruit cultivation. They wanted better facilities for transport-distribution. Mr R. Poison (Tarras) emphasised the fact that .every settler in his district was enthusiastic over the scheme. Ho had not met a settlor who was not prepared to put his hand m his pocket in order to further the scheme. That showed tho faith thoy had Mr Waigth (Roxburgh) said their district had languished in the past for want of political and electrical energy. Many of the Inutjf rowers believed that with hvdioelectnc energy they could save their early crops from frost. He was satisfied that if they raised tho principal for this scheme there was no need to worry over the interest. Mr Brodrick (Cromwell), who spoke at some length, siid that if they wero going to carry tho scheme out themselves it would he necessary to form a board, including all the local bodies. If Duncdin would not come m and make herself prosperous the back-blocks would have to push her alon"—(Laughter.) Tho cost of the HaweaHaniUca scheme, with transmission to Dun- . erun, was estimated bv Mr Hav at £2,200.000. The Hon. Sir W. Fraser said t.ie cost would be £1,500,000. and lie tnought Mr Parry's report, which the Minister quoted, should be furnished. Ri<rht

at once, however, they could form the hoard and get tho plans and specifications and estimates formed. Later, a levy could bo made on the constituent districts to provide money for the preliminary survev and report. Then would be tho time to consider whether they should go on with Uio scheme themselves or get the Government to do it. He had not much faith in Government engineers, and thought for the purpose of this report they should import an engineer—an independent man. If Dunedm would not como in they could make her an outer area and supply her with power at their own price.—(Laughter) Mr H. E. Moller (West Harbour) pointed out that Bunedin had a very fine scheme of its own, and he thought the final arrangement would l;o that the big- scheme would supply Dunedin. The town people would give all assistance, but naturally, with city and suburbs already getting cheap power, there was not much impetus behind the city movement. Mr R. T. Stewart said there were many reasons why the scheme proposed should be carried to fruition. He would mention one or two points of interest in relation to the carrying out of such a scheme as tho conference was called to consjder. Vast deposits of iron ore, containing iron equal to tile best Swedish and Norwegian iron, were lying untouched in the dominion for the reason that no economical means of smelting the ore had up to the present been available. A supply of electricity would luter this state of affairs. For a long time those engaged in certain branches of mining in the dominion had been exporfng arsenical pyrites to Australia to be treated the price obtained being based unon the quantity of gold therein. It was not Generally known that in addition to the gold, every ton of these pvritcs contained arsenic to the value of £140 and this was lost to the dominion because ot the lack of facilities for smolthi"- which clectr.city would provide. Tho Carriek Kange, near Cromwell, was rich in arsenica pyrites, and also in gold, but the difficulty so far was that a special plant was required to separato tho gold from the arsenic lhero was one point which must not be lost sight of in tho selection of a suitable scheme for providing electricity on a large scale. In every country where attention was being given to the" generation of ox'ctncjty the point was 'being stressed that.any scheme, to be successful, must bu immune from interruption, and he ventured to say that of all the schemes which might bo proposed to supply the province of Otago with electrical energy none except the Hawea-Wanaka scheme fulfilled this condition. This scheme if properlv aimed out would be absolutely immune irom interruption. i Mr H. L Tapley (chairman of tho Harbour Board) said that tho board was deeplv sympathetic towards the scheme It was ' a question that affected Dunedin as much ■ as the country districts.—(Voices • "More ' so. ) It was not going to nfleet tho Wai- : pon scheme one iota. Waipori was in- ' sufficient to supply all the requirements Dunedin must do its equal part with the country, and both should go hand in hand '

to earn- tho scheme to a successful issue Mr fcdgar (Mayor of St. Kilda) supported the scheme. Mr Roy asked whether the scheme would bo a success if Dunedin insisted upon its right to supply Bruce and other rilaces with power. .i T . hc k Cha ,'- rman said he did no* believe that Dunedin would take up such an attitude. Duncdm could not fully supply its own needs, and what would be the use of rotnculating Bruce? Cr Shaddock stated that he was not averse to tho motions, which really provided for obtaining data. He trusted that hand in hand with this work, information would bo obtained as to irrigation If the scheme was to bo a success, leaving Dunedin out, it would bo on account of this irrigation issue. A large plant for supply of the district, with the central town out would be of no uso commercially. H o made this statement after experience "in tho worlmg of Waipori The electrical engineer at Wellington had told him the same tiling— that without the city of Wellington in the sclienio could never bo a commercial' proposition He was hoping that Wellington would buy from the Government plant' as Ohnstchurch did from the Lake Coleridso plant, and as Dunodin might at tho ri<* n t pnce and timos. Personally, ho hoped "to live to see the Waipori undertaking developed to its utmost capacity, and as ho had said before, the primary object of thos« advocating the extension of energy for Utago should be to see that tho Government left the City Council alone to develop Vvaipon in ite own way. As had been and, tho aty s license covered tho supply for Bnico, and the department hoped within two years to have that district reticulated and Milton supplied. There had boon sotoc» misstatemonts made as to tho ability of the department to supo'y Duncdii, rhero would havo boon no difficulty except through the war. Restrictions had boon necessary, because they wore short of certain plant—not generating plant, but transmission plant It was not lack of newer at Waipon that, compelled this restriction lie would warn the meeting that if it was going to donl with tho present proposition commercially it would bo a long timo Hofnro Tt wrs imde available for even half the farms of Otago. Tho ehrrrman': That is a matter about which we are .going to form a committee to fro into. I don't think it is necessary for that, point, to be en'anred upon. Cr Shackloek said ho hopod tho moctin"was willing to look at both sidos of tho question. This rmt.ter of hydro-elootric onergv Find boon dismissed much in En"--Vind lately, n.nd- it. wns pointed out in tho iw i JF' mcS Supplomont that oWtnc power micrh+. bo dovolopod and transmitted rhpnnlv for loner dirtnnoos .and vot Hs cost nrcrht. bo rWiibiffvo if distributed to a Inrgo numbor of sma ll non . mmors ovor a wido aroa. The otwhr-io T.~ I 0 * o{ production.' but "Hip difficulty of re.aohmg prospective users. Un.leas St ooold lr> ooonbiaod with tssa for

irrigation purposes he believed that the schemo Jiovv proposed would Iμ a. failure commercially. On tho Taieri Plain the department's high-tension lino had run down one side for 10 years, and the farmers on the plain had not taken advantage of it to any extent, because they could not do so commercially. Tho department was now making an offer to the dairying district of Momona, and if this offer did not come to anything it could bo assumed that tho farmers of Otago generally wore not going to get much out of the actual use of power on their farms. The district was ■T-s good a dairying one as existed in New Zealand. There were 58 consumers, and tho cost of tho extension, without charging ■\"ything for the_ head works, would be £5000. The minimum- guarantee for four years that tho department was asking was £26 per annum per consumer. In addition to that, tho consumers would have to wire their own buildings, and • install their motors. After four years the guarantee would bo reduced 'to £15. If tins offer was not taken advantage of it would show that there was not a /rreat dral in electrical power for the small farmer. Mr Blade (Alexandra) said that while in the early days Central Otago had born regarded as a mining district only, with irrigation it could be marie into an agricultural district. Mr Sanders (Cromwell) said he was surprised at Cr Shaddock comparing the Taieri land with that of Central Ofcofro. Tho Taiori did not require water: in fact, they were getting flooded out too often for thoir liking. Hawca Flat was one- of tho greatest producing districts in New Zealand, and the People there know the need of irrigation. It would also be one of the best fat stock producing districts if given water, besides being a fruit-growing district. The river beds of Otago Central would still pay for gold dredging if they had cheap power with which to work them. In Cromwell the

people intended to leave no stone-unturned to help themselves to get tho scheme going He reckoned that there were 20 miles of river that eou'.d be payably dredged with the use of electricity. Mr Cotter (Hawea Flat) said that inland settlors had had to depend largely on their own rffo-rts. He commented on what he regarded as tho conservative Dolicy of those m authority, and said that the interests of town and country were indissoluble. If the country progressed the citv progressed Dunedin had for the last, few years remained stationary, and if they presented a united front over the Hawea-Wanaka scheme it would benefit both town and country. I here was no necessity to bring in the lines through snowbound country, and tho work could be so commenced as to make it quickly remunerative. In the afternoon Cr Shaddock off-red an apology for the absence of the Mayor (Mr W. Bcgg). Ho trusted that one result of the conference would bo tho advancement of Otago. Mr M'Donald said the net profit from Waipon was £18,000. They did not care wnere the scheme was carried out as Ion" as the engineer to bo appointed said it was tho right place. He hoped delegates would not go away from the conference with the idea that it was married to any ono scheme. That moist be left to the engineer Cr Shaddock had mentioned that to letch in a large amount of power would not pay in Otago. Ho thought Cr Shackwas quite wrong. The intention of the conlercnce was to supply sufficient power tor present needs with a view to extending in "me to come. Probably £250,000 would fetch in all that was now required Mr M'lnerney (Tuapeka County Council) said lie gave this scheme his whole-hearted support. Ho did not eoe why Cr Shaddock should say that Dunedin had enough power. 11 that was so, why were we sending our wool away Homo and fetching it back j.j ro was room for factories here J-t we did not want the power to-dav we might want it to-morrow. Mr Ritchio (Vincent County Council) referring to the carrying capacity of a small area of land at Hawea, said he had as much experience of irrigation as anyone in the T C° m - iFWI™ *>«>«#* up on a farm at Cromwell Flat, and his father had taken 40 crops in succession off land without using manure. Was there any other land m JNew- Zealand where ono could do tho same thing? These must be some quality

in the land that kept it going. Speaking of dredgmg and mining generally, he said they were being carried on at a great disadvantage. There was gold lying dormant, and the chief sources were at the top £400,000 on the head works, and after that start they could pump the water out to tticse and flats, and so a source of revenue would be created straight away lie thought they should import an engineer lroiu Britain or America to report on the scheme, and that they should make it plum that tney were going on with this eciiume. iliey wantea power, ajid they wanted it now, aud they did not want to push the scheme ior own personal adviuicnge but ior ' the ' benetit of Otago When the time come along for the ratepayers to pledge themselves as to money lie wou.d bo tnero with iiis support. Let them not allow this scheme to drag on the way the Otago Central line had done, out Jet them bump it along. Mr .Scott (Bruce) said at tor Otago Central was supplied he was wondering whether there would bo any power left lor his disThe Chairman: If you' are prepared to pay tor it you will get it *-**»"«> Mr Scott: Oh, Wβ will be prepared to pay lor it. Continuing, ho said that there were a - good lew people beyond Milton who would bo glad to get power, more particularly for lighting purposes. He thought it might go to Balclutha and Kaitangata. He thought the best thing to do was to get right to it and K et it going. If they waited for tile Government it inirfit be long enough. fc Mr Uantrell (A. and P. Society) sa id that it power was provided producers would be able to deliver produce that was essential to the secondary industries. He supported the resolution. Mr J. Rhodes said Cr Shaddock who was worthy of the greatest respect, had stated that he was agreeable to the development of electrical power provided the source was one of wmcli he approved. He was speaking in his capacity of chairman of the Jiectno Power and Lighting Committee

when ho said tho corainitue would buy that power at the iwurs wanted and at a. price agreed upon, 'ino two important questions were the pneo and tno source ot supply, lhat woulu be a matter ior tho opinion ot experts, and lor their examination. What was wanted was a capacity that would permw tiiein to supply power at all hours and at a reasonblo price. With a larger scheme they would be able to Dlaco manufacturers 111 f.l*?' 110 ", to compete with, the outside world. Hβ thought taat if the corporation was starting afresh it would say it would not go to VVaipori. The Southland people had - blazed " the track, and if Otago toon up the- scheme he would back it wholeheartedly. Mr K It. Sargood said tho speakers had not looked at the position from the present day. They had looked .it it for the future It wag not a scheme for to-day, but for to-morrow Irrigation had been touched upon, and ho was satisfied that toy tho time they had dono with their irrigation tiiere would be no power left Speaking of tho lrrigablo land in Otago ho pointed out if irrigated. 50 acres would be sufficient for i family, and tliat if 500 acres wero taken it would cany 1000 families, and that if each family took 10 horse-power they would have over 9000 korse-powor, which Wanak'a would

produce. That was for irrigation alone lliat country was, say, lOOit above the source of water supply, and it would tako 60 horse-power to raise four heads of water to that elevation. Four heads would irrigate 500 acres. Then there were many in- 1 dustries such as mining, and there was also house economy and convenience. What was wanted was education. It was because the Taieri farmers knew the uses and value of clecbrifioation that they did not respond to tho opportunity offered by the Oifcy Council. Thoy must educate tho people,, and then they would have- their support from a. practical point of view. If Otago demanded a larger scheme later on tho small schemes must bo scrapped, including Waipori. If they had tho facilities suggested they would be astonished at the result, and would be supported 'by a big influx of population Tho Government told them it was going to do tho North Island first, and that meant 10 years before it would do anything for Otago. He -urged that thoy shoukl not wait for tho Government. Mr Tait (Port Chalmers) supported the motion, a-nd said cheap electrical power had be. jme a national necessity. Dunodin was an cibstablo in tho way of an electrical sohome for Otago. Was Dunedin prepared to say to tho Government: " Make it a national scheme 'for tho whole of Otago" ? Was Duhedin so enamoured' of what it was ijettintr out of its scheme that it was going to block the bigger schemo? Ho thought it was a crying shame that there was a gas lamp in Duncdin. It was to remedy that that moro electric power should go. Mr Boytl (Balclutha) said, ho hoped to soo in this scheme a -united Otago. There always appeared to bo a certain amount of selfish element in Dunedin. If they wore going to got population hero they must l>e a united Otago. The onlv thing ho did no t. liko about tho motion was that they wore going to tho Government. Ho -would liko to E&y that tho? were going to do it thomaelvea. There waa nn nnderatandsiiff azcamg

the south members that the North Island ; was to get its "go" and tho south was to come in afterwards. tW ir ' U ? n < aJd .*"d ho felt that unless they acted together and wore unanimous they wou:d never build Otago up. It wat ■ no use Winding themselves to the fact that fJT , , F™ 8 back - a,,d ;t « tact that other places wcro offering greater success but it was not enough to build up : £ewholo of Otago. He would give h£ : ■t° t u ba,S ? ms U|> **» whol ° of Otago ; Md if they kept together they could carry tho scheme to a successful conclusion Th£ : 7 8 1 ° n *? rofor to tho increased ; K f S — P ° Ould P ut on the ■ ,r "i, r ""nsation, and in reforrinc to ,S 3 ?"? ™»™»ff °f the rail4yt ; J^ft** ' to W 7 h Alexandra) said he wanted ■ uL ! • f. v< >i7body was prepared to use DreJ , C i- ght to lifrht the homos. Tho ■ inT K- boom of 20 years a-o : •£'£? S T SiS3Jr , J a5 u c and have a : ernWnt ™ !nde P« ,de "t of the Gov- ' Jt a % inVitcd an ex of opinion

wmSB now, and if tho Government likes to taka over our responsibility good mck to it mS y . lODS Were ™*i«l unanixnrtJ 7xi * b * Kdd he tto £500 for preliminary would be inadequate f , motion of Mr London that porAir bargood said he would throw out a S'oXJLS- "** **^S. lhe following committee was cfected, with power to add to its number:— ' Shaddock R. A. S. Gmtrcll, H. Mitchell J. B. Raters, James Begg, and J. Horn ' lai9n County Council-The ohairmat and deputy-chairman Chrk^and^Ae^ 1 - Sc ° tt ' am/fciiS 0 ' 01,211 King JdtL^&e MagineSS ' Balclutha Borough Council—Messrs Bunten and H. Simpson. Kaitangata—Messrs T. Gage, R. Aitchoson, and P. M'Sldrmuing, ju£ -'"KnoTapanui—Mr GiDies Horiot—Mr R. E. Hyde. Kelso—Mr A. MTCiiinon Jo?n S Ke7 te MeSSre X H - W^h ™» GcSge r ßen^ Me6SrS R M ' D «* Alexandra-Messrs Black, Ashworth and Bodlnn. ' webbtr" Mossr3 s, T- Spain and c - Cromwell—Messrs Brodrick and Sanders Bannockburn—Messrs J. Riohaxds and G , B. Gordon. . ' Lindis—Mr R. Poison. Hawea—Messrs John Kane, P. M'Carthy and R. K. Siriith. Pembroke-Messrs F. Thomson and W Scaife. Quoenstoivn—Messrs A. Sim-oson and W Reid. Maniototo—Messrs P.. Aitken and J Shepherd. Port Chalmei-s— M3ssrs J. Tait and J M Stevenson. Waikouaiti—Mr J. G. L. Kcrr Oamani--Messrs R. Milligan aid Forrest lrades and Labour Council—President, and Messrs Evans and E. Kellott. ~M C .P"^, <xlcJ was appointed convener, and Mr W. B. Steel escretary. . A vote of thanks to the chair and the City Council for the use. of tho chamber concluded tho conference. COMPLIMENTARY DESTNER. Tho visiting delegates were entertained Jit dinner in the Savoy by the members of the Otago Expansion League. Mr Todd occupied tho chair, and after the dainty repast, provided had boon fully enjoyed, proposed the toast of tho " Visitors." This was heartily honoured, and responded to by Messrs S. Spain (Clyde) and Middleton (Waitaki). On tho invitation. of the MiHenderson (city engineer) gave a brief and intercstig outline of tho inception and progress of Waipori, quoting iigures to show tho continuous jrrowth which had attended tho city e-lecrrical installation. The quotations made and tho special instances cited by Mr Henderson proved of groat interest to tho delegates, and many keen, qu3st:ons wore asked and frankly answered. Mr James Bcgg, who has just returned from the north, when called upon by tho president, said that he had lieen pleased to learn thafi so much enthusiasm had bocn shown by the meoting, but -we wanted moro tlian enthusiasm—we wanted cold tacts. Tho fact of which Mr Bejr K was afraid would prove the greatest obstacle -was tho breaking down oi the ]u'gh tension power to tho many consumers, especially on tho main lino. The work of the nowly-clected committee should bo centred on procuring accurate, first-hand information ns to how and at what price- the country settler could bo supplied with Jight and power. Tlm general opinion." is expressed by the experts whose statomente wcro quoted iliai once rower ivas installed the demand grew steadily, and there wa,s no r?ason to supposo that fMago would bo different. Bofoi-o the tic legates wero c-ver tho Gumborlaiid street converter station by tho courtesy of Mr Henderson, and several of the interesting steps in the process of converting falling water into light were exhibited. A cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Hondcrson.