WATER POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 100, 18 October 1911, Page 4

WATER POWER.

IMPORTANT PRELIMLVAUY WORK. THE LAKE COLERIDGE SCHEM'E. APPLICATION OF ELECTRICITY TO THiE RAILWAYS. .States the Minister for Public Works in his Statement: — In pursuance of the intention announced in my last year's statement to appoint an electrical engineer, Mr. Evan Parry has been appointed to tlie position, and entered into his duties in .July last. Much preliminary work has been carried out in connection with the Ivako Coleridge scheme. The available market for power in the Canterbury district has been investigated and the requirements ascertained, and plans and specifications are in course of preparation for works to provide for an ultimate demand of 10,000 horse power, and tenders will shortly be invited for a first instalment of the plant. Arrangements are being made for completing the first section of the works in two years. It is estimated that a capital expenditure of about £375,000 will be required to efficiently instal the full 10,000 horse power plant, and that when installed the district between Rangiora in the north and Timaru in the south can be supplied with electrical energy, with branch lines to the different fanning centres. It is hoped to make the system serviceable to country midents as well as to the inhabitants and industries of the cities and larger towns. In this we have very striking precedents in Switzerland, France, Germany and, latterly, in England, wher« farms and cottages in rural districts are supplied with electricity for lighting and power purposes at cheap rates. The estimates of capital outlay anil operating expenses indicate that power can be supplied at about £6 10s per horse power per year for wholesale supply for distribution and for factories. Although the Lake Coleridge scheme is the first in importance owing to the urgent demand for an adequate supply of power in the city and suburbs of Christchurch, other available source-" of electrical energy are receiving attention. An investigation of the available market in the Whangarei district, where hydro-electric power is available from the Wairua Falls, lias been made, with •atisfactory results, and preliminary steps are about to be taken for the development of power from those falls and j from Lake Waikaremoana. The electrical engineer will visit both sources of power at an early date. It is of fundamental importance for the future development of this work that the fullest possible information should ,be collected with regard to the rainfalls and variations in flow of our principal rivers over an extended number of years. This information is essential in order that, as the population and the markets develop accurate and reliable estimates may be formed of the water power available to meet the demands. For this purpose gaugings will be undertaken of all rivers and streams which are likely to be put under control. ■RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION. The conditions pertaining to the electrification of the Christchurch-Lyttclton railway are being investigated, and tho requirements ascertained. It is anticipated that with a supply of power available from Lake Coleridge the conversion from steam to electric working will bo profitable, and tenders for the work will be invited in due course with a view to its completion as soon as possible after the supply of current becomes available. After the application of electricity to the working of this line its application to other sections will be considered. Iu the meantime all information on tho subject is being collated, and the progress ' of electrification of railways in other countries is being carefully watched. Hi view of the rapid extension of electric working fFyance, Germany, Switzerland, . Norway, United States and England, it is intended to make a systematic study of the traffic and train movements throughout the Dominion, with the object -of 1 ascertaining definitely the power requirements of the different sections. In other countries the electric working of rail--1 ways, which has previously been limited 1 to suburban services, is now being extended to main and branch lines, not only where the traffic is heavy, but also on lines with a comparatively infrequent service. The Department is consequently studying the application of electricity not only to suburban services, where its usefulness is undoubted, but also as an . Alternative to regrading, which is proving i necessary on many o,f the main lines in 1 order to cope with the increasing traffic, i The use of electric traction would dis--1 pense with the necessity of regrading ' in a great many cases, inasmuch as i steeper grades can be worked with electric ; haulage nnd at higher speeds than with ' steam engines. On new lines also it I would be possible to reduce the cost <jf ) construction considerably, and to c* i pedite the work 'by the adoption of 1 higher ruling maximum gradients than 1 arc possible with steam haulage, but i which can be advantageously operated t electrically.