OUR WATER POWER RESOURCES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 346, 23 March 1910, Page 5

OUR WATER POWER RESOURCES

GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL AMD DEVELOP. £500,000 ANNUALLY TO BE ASKED FOR. 'l!y Telegraph.—Preys' iA*««"iat.inn. Wellington, Last Night. The Prime Minister announced tonight that the Government had deculed to control and develop the water power resources throughout New Zealand. and for that purpose to ask Parliament's authority to expend up to £5110,000 annually. This is to enable water power to be used for the puntic as well as private purposes in different parts of the country, stated Sir Joseph Ward. The present method of leasing power does not appear to have worked at all satisfactorily, considerable difficulties having been experienced in assenting to the requests of applicant-', for power. Tt is also evident that under the leasing system a very mn-h heavier charge would be made to thr users of power by private undertakings than would be imposed by the State.. In one •'nstaiiee, what the country would get if it leased its water power would run into £1 a tnousand horse pow~r per annum, while those who are endeavouring to obtain the option propose to charge as high as £lO to priva'.e users, so that the matter has' been very troublesome. After carefullv and fully considering it, the Government has decided to control the power itself, and to evpend mtmiai'iv up ()o the sum ment'oned upon its devplonment. thus enabling users to obtain the power at a rate very mueh less than it could be obtained from private undertakings'. The Government has decided to extend the electrical generating plant at Okere Fal's, Rotorua. The supply of wires *o Rotorua are to be duplicated.