THE DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY.

Shannon News, 26 January 1926, Page 3

THE DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY.

HOKOWHENUA EXCEEDS ms ALr LOTMENT. REMARIKABfLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT DISTRICT. When the original allotment ol power from Mangaliao was made in the various Power Boards, the Horowiienua Power Board’s quota was fixed by the Public Works Department at 1200 horse-power. That is it was estimated that in five years after the switching on of the current this district' would take that amount of power. So rapid, however, has been the electrical development of the Horpwhenua District, and so efficient has been the handling of the- undertaking by the Horowhenua officers and Board, that the quota has been exceeded in a little over one year' from the inauguration of Mangahao. The Board’s load of power at the latest report was 1318 k.v.a. Put in another way the Board contracted to pay the Public Works Department £4~40 in its first year for current received. It has actually accepted current worth £7210 in that "time, and only in one quarter was the load anything like normal. In the quarter ended December 31st last it paid the Department £3ooo—to be exact 4C2996 — for current. The original contract called upon the Board to take in its first year current to the value of £4240, in its second year £5200, in its second year £5200, in its third year £6160, in its fourth year £BOBO, and in its fifth year £IO,OOO. The indications are that, in its second year it-, will, greatly exceed what was originally estimated would be the requirement in its fifth year. As a result of this astonishing development, ■ the Resident Electrical Engineer of the P.W.D. at Mangahao wrote to the Board at its meeting on Tuesday stating that the Board’s load had considerably exceeded the amount allocated and that it might be necessary to have the load reduced accordingly, although that was undesirable. In view of the growth of load on their system the Department are considering the installation at Waikeiremeana, and the writer asked whether the Board, in conjunction with other Boards, would be prepared to increase its guarantee. The Department, in its turn, would undertake to expedite the work at Waikaremoana, so that additional power would be available, within three years. The Department would ■ not undertake to give the Board any more power until Waikaremoana came into operation, but if its erection were expedited it ■ would mean that in the fourth and fifth years Of the Board’s contract it would not be faced with the chance of, having to reduce'the peak load. Mr A. A. Brown said he understood the Department had already agreed to go on with the scheme at Waikaremoana, without any further guarantee.

■The chairman. (Mr G. A. Monk), said he did not think the Board could enter into any arrangement to increase their guarantee. He suggested that perhaps the Board might set up a committee to confer with representatives of the Public Works Department. It would not, however, be right to give a, guarantee at the present moment. One aspect of the case to which he drew the members’ attention was that «t opening of the Mangahao scheme twelve months ago die present Prime Minister, as Minister for Public Works, said they had arrived at the point where the Department had dona its duty, but he was a little afraid the Boards would not be, able to consume the product. The latter, however, had got to work, done very well, and were still build-ing-up the load. The foregoing letter seemed to take them to task for exceeding the allocation. The question of guaranteeing ,the load, particuarly in the development of schemes such as that at Waikaremoana, devolved upon the Department and he failed to see how iit affected power board guarantees. It was a national scheme and when Mhngahao was commenced there was no mention of guarantee. The Public Works Department were in an equally good position as the Power Boards to say whether they should go on with Waikaremoana, as go on they should, in order to get the transmission line up to Napier and Hawkes Bay. In the Horowhenua Power Board’s district they had a large industrial load chiefly taken up by flax-mills. Whilst the flax r industry wias art, present, at the lowest ebb it was likely to reach, there was a chance of it getting worse, and the Board had to give that possibility every consideration. Therefore, the speaker did not think they should try to give any guarantee, and moreover, they were unable to give one at the present juncture. The committee appointed should state to the Department the position as it obained in the Horowhenua area, and purhaps something in the way of a guarantee might be forthcoming m months’time. , . n Mr Brown agreed that the flaxmiii load might go out. The flax ™ suffering from the yellow' leaf disease, which, if persistent, might wipe out the industry. . It was decided that the Finance Committee, together with the Engineer and secretary, should act as the Board’s representatives to confer with the Department.