The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1920. A COUNTY ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3552, 14 August 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1920. A COUNTY ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

With which is incorporated as: “The Taihape Post and Waimarino ' ' News ”

p The efforts of -~.the Rangitikei iCounty Council to discover, within ’the.county, a source of power ample for warranting the establishment of an electric power station for supply ing the whole of the county with electric light and power, “are subject for popular gratitude and approbation. We say again that the Rangitikei County Council is among the most fortunate, if not the most fortunate council in the Dominion as regards its oflicers. No daily journal published within the county could help its attention being drawn to the county affairs generally by the excellence of its administrative staff. The initiative it displays is of a truly supreme character; its progressiveness is something to admire, and its energy in overcoming obstacles to What it sets out to achieve in the best interests of settlers and settlement is perIsistent and seemingly of an untiring lcharacter. If the northern portion of [the country does not receive the at{tention that we sometimes think it is entitled to we feel convinced that it )is rather owing to the preponderance of southern influence in the Council lthan to any lack of discernment in !'the staff. In time Councillors will al{low the fact to dawn upon them that ‘it is the northern portion of the county that should claim their prior attention. When that time does come the old sludge-channel roads, if there are any left. will rapidly become extinct under Engineer Mair’s expert jul‘isdiction.. Such roads will fade away into something for old farmers to romance about to their successors-—' the future generation. Without launching out into peanism about County oflicials it is right that no lparticular effort made for the benefit lot’ settlers throughout the county lshould go unnoticed. The chief, enLgi.n.ee.l‘, Mr Mair, has displayed notable energy in trying to discover a ‘source of electrical power, and there is much cause for hoping that his lefforts will prove successful. The jbenefit to settlers -of ample electric power is positively inestimable, as it would enable them to scrap their engines, their lighting plants. besides ibeing able to do much of the farm :work with machinery [they now do by ihand It will largely solve the labour lproblem for them. and bring within itheir reach. and use.‘ many of the lcoinforts of'life that have hitherto !only been obtainable in the large Cen—_ ltres of population. With a manlike ‘Mr Mair in charge ‘almost anything }lllEl_\,"bC’ hoped for. and even the convenience of tramways to bring pro‘duce to the railway and take siipplies bacl: again to the back country are mentally visualised. ‘li’ settlers will !Thol'ol‘-E-§hl3' digest the facts. enabling lfhenl to realise the saving of thouslands of poifiicls an eflicient electric ‘supply makeg certain for them, Vel‘Y lniuch more will be hen'rd from them [Oll the siiliject. But. in addition to it-he incalculable benefits economically lthat will accrue to Country SC-‘9l:l'](-‘.l‘S_ [and -the inestimable increase of comIfort; of thgse conditions: that make lhome-life worth whiie. centres of lpopulntion within the county have 50211159 I'o gleefully View what is being ldone to provide an electric power {scheme in the county. by the county, lfor the sole use of..tl‘:o;\'G living within ’_the county boundaries. ‘Townships :will probably have elect”:-ic power for" ‘their inclustries as: Well as for lighting ‘and hezlting.'rend‘ering owners of industries and housewives indifferent to‘ whether there are coal strikes or not“ ‘With good fortune attending the} County Engineer’s investigations it may be possible for even the Taihape Borough Councillors to shake off their‘ seemingly insolvable'difliculty, that water and lighting nightmare that sits so heavily upon them at this time. A ray of hope shines through the county engineer’s activities for them, and no doubt’ they are not neglecting to get into county notice early enough to be in any scheme of the kind that may prove practicable.