EARLY TO BED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 938, 3 April 1930, Page 1

EARLY TO BED

POWER SHORTAGE IN MARLBOROUGH EFFECT OF DROUGHT Press Association BLENHEIM, Today. Though not apparently as badly off as New Plymouth the town of Blenheim and Marlborough generally Is feeling the effects of the long drought °n the provincial hydro-electric -scheme. A system of rationing electricity has been adoptee'. and the only street lights in use are those in the centre of the town. Power is shut off every night at 10.30 until six in the morning, and again from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The result is that everybody goes to bed early, and though electricity is available for heating and cooking, the switching off from ten to four makes power plants practically .useless, so there has been a great furbishing up of old gas engines. The Power Board’s deisel stand-by plant, which would have obviated tlie present difficulty, is now being landed fr °m England and the erection is being pushed on with immediately. The Power Board is suggesting the Governmental development of power at Lake Rotoroa to supply the needs of Marlborough, Nelson aud the West t oast, but strong pi blic feeliug is that the Government should be urged to develop a source of supply at Clarence, which would serve as a feeder toe Canterbury and supply the whole of the wants of Canterbury, Marlborough, and the East Coast, practically for ever. NEW PLYMOUTH’S PLIGHT POWER TOO WEAK TO DRIVE DENTIST’S DRILL Special to THE SUE NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday. Xew Plymouth's power shortage is such that today a man sat long in a dentist's chair with an operation uncompleted, for the power gradually became so weak that it could not drive the drill. He decided in the end to have his tooth drawn. Onlj- a skeleton tram service, helped by buses, is being maintained. Owners electric stoves sometimes cannot Prepare a hot meal. An electric crane on the wharf cannot be; used.