CONFERENCE AGREED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1007, 25 June 1930, Page 12

CONFERENCE AGREED

new plant should be SECURED INSTANTLY NEGOTIATIONS OVERSEAS The upshot of the important conference yesterday afternoon between the Auckland Electric-Power Board and representatives of the C'ty and the province in the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council, was a decision immediately to impress on the Government the urgency of providing a plant to give Auckland and the province an adequate power supply. A significant phase of the conference was the emphasis placed by several Members of Parliament on the Government’s need to recognise itsi re- j • ponsibility in the Arapuni situation j rmd in the expense on the emergency! Plant in view. Efforts have already been made to j secure an option over a 15,000 kilo- • watt plant available for shipment from | England, which the Auckland Board j believes could be in operation sooner * than any other scheme.and could as- j -ist in meeting what will undoubtedly be a terrific demand next winter. No j optimism was held out regarding Ara- j puni. The general view was that j Arapuni would be closed for two years, I at least. The object of the conference, really, was to allow the Auckland Board to acquaint the Members of Parliament j ... bers of bot h Houses, including the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stall- ' worthy, attended the meeting) and this ' ambition was achieved thoroughly by! •he chairman of the board, Mr. "W. J. Holds worth, when he read to the Members his intensive review of the whole , power position and illuminating figures | regarding the burdens thrust upon the board. Mr. Holdswortli’s criticism of the j Public Works Department for not ar- j i engine a conference with power boards i ns early as possible also received sup- j port from some Members of Parliament. NON-PARTY ATTITUDE The only speaker to doubt the eon- ! i iriuation of the non-party attitude of •he assembled Members, when the engineer’s report on Arapuni came before i he Mouse of Representatives, was Mr. \V. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau. Mr. W. Lee Martin, M.P. for Raglan, had gen pessimistic concerning the prospects of rapid remedial measures at Arapuni and Mr Jordan followed this • opinion by saying: “If the engineer reports that Arapuni is down and out, somebody will be charged. Where will this unanimity regarding nonparty spirit be then?” Mr. Koldsworth's report “n the availability of a 13,000 kilowatt plant, , which could be assembled in Auckland . v ith the least possible delay as many of he foundation requirements already -xisted, for immediate shipment from : England to New Zealand particularly interested the Members. Air J. S. Fletcher. M.P. for Grey Lynn, urged the hoard to take it upon itself to order ihe plant, the interests of the consumers of Auckland and the province being the paramount consideration. Mr Fletcher declared that he would support the board should the order be made. . ...... To this. Mr. IToldsworth replied that rhe board could hardly incur a liability of possibly £ 140.000 without some ?auranc© from the Government. Tn reply to Mr. Stallworthy, the chairman thought it possible to cable to secure an option over the machinery. The plant could be in New Zealand by November, and there was already :» pile foundation at King s \\ harf. There would be no need for duplication of staff should this plant be ordered, is would be the case with a steam plant constructed possibly at Huntly. Such a scheme, further, could not be provided within 20 months, it was estimated, but the plant suggested by the board could probably be operating by next winter. The board considered that the Government should beer half the cost of this plant. Sir Edwin Mitchelson, M.L.C., agreeing with this contention, thought a duplicate plant was necessary. PROMPT ACTION WANTED It was on the motion of the Hon. E. W. Alison, M.L.C., seconded by Mr. A. W. Hall, M.P. for Hauraki, that the conference agreed to the making of representations to the Government to take prompt and decisive action to establish a plant of sufficient power to ensure a full supply to users throughout the province. It was explained that a new Id,ooo kilowatt plant at the site near King's Wharf would benefit the country as well as the Auckland Board’s area, in which the demand for power was about half of the total for the province. During the meeting, Mr. Stallworthy received advice by telephone from the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, saying that Cabinet would consider his completed recommendations on the power situation today or, at the latest, tomorrow. He would then be prepared to meet the board at the earliest suitable date. After the conference. Mr. Holdsworth telegraphed Air. Taverner inquiring whether he and officers of the department could visit Auckland on Mondav next to consult the board. A cablegram has been dispatched to England regarding the 15.000 kilowatt steam generating plant favoured by the board as the most convenient auxiliary which could be assembled in New Zealand within a reasonable time. A suggestion by Air. T. Bloodworth at the conference that the decision of the meeting should allow for authority to be given the board by the Government to order the plant, should the < Jovernment not do so, was not given efrect to. Mr. Stallworthy cautioned the conference against duplication in common cause, for the Government .ilso had inquiries in progress concerning auxiliary plant. POWER FOR AUCKLAND MEETING AT HUNTLY TOWN BOARDS SCHEME A meeting was held at Huntly this nfternpon to discuss the establishment of a steam plant there to generate electric power for Auckland, in view of the seriousness of the position at Arapuni. Mr. TV. C. E. George, chairman of the Huntly Town Board, presided. Air. TV. Lee Martin, M.P., was present and ihe the Huntly miners had a representative at the meeting. It is presumed that the Huntly Town Board is desirous of erecting a plant as quickly as possible in view of the fact That an ample supply of coal is on the *pot. I