The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1918. HYDRO- ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1918. HYDRO- ELECTRIC POWER.

That very great importance attaches to the provision of hydro-electric power to meet the requirements of Taranaki was evidenced by the large attendance of representative men at the conference held at Stratford on Thursday, and the formation of a league to push forward the attainment of the object. The' Government has propounded a scheme for supplying the whole of tha Dominion with electric current derived from harnessing up the water power that otherwise runs to waste. A start was made in the South Island at Lake Coleridge and it has proved—as it was bound to do—an enormous boon, besides being a profitable venture. It is quite likely that hut for the war the North Island project would have been undertaken and well on to completion by now. The discussion at Stratford was mainly a;; to whether we should wait for some ten years before reaping the advantage of the main scheme for generating hydro-electric power at the Mangahau and the Waikato, or press on the Government the need for proceeding with the supplcinentsil scheme of harnessing up the Waitara river for the time being. There was a consensus of. opinion that electrical current was greatly needed in Taranaki at the earliest possible moment, and that its provision would be a great boon to the community generally. The Government has all the facts as to the requirements of the North Island, but under present circumstances it is obvious that the main scheme for generating and supplying electrical current must take a considerable time, even when the plant and materials are available. With the subsidiary scheme for utilising the Waitara river to supply electricity for the whole of Taranaki there need be but little delay comparatively, and as it would act as a feeder to the main supply, when the latter is carried out, its execution at an early date would help in the completion of the Government's proposals as a whole. In face of the need for easing the burdens consequent oil the war it is absolutely imperative that everything should he done to facilitate industrial enterprises and to provide cheap motor power, as well as current for lighting purposes. In a primary producing district like Taranaki, especially in connection with dairying, motive power is a large item of expenditure under present methods, while the ever increasing price of land, rates and cost of cartage are pressing heavily on the community. The settlers of Taranaki need electric power at the factories, on their farms and in their houses, also for the conveyance of milk to the factories and butter and cheese to the railway. Horse traction is becoming a thing of the past; it is too slow, too costly and does not pay where motor power is available. The cost of petrol has become almost prohibitive and there is a general yearning for the substitution of electricity, so that its advent would be a great boon to all the industries. It is probable there is no portion of the North Island where an adequate supply of electrical current is so much needed as in Taranaki both for industrial transport and household purposes; and the position is emphasised by the coal question. Moreover, there art sound reasons why the round the, mountain railway should be run by electrical energy. Wellington, Palmerston, Wanganui and all the other towns and townships in the North Island are anxiously awaiting the promised electrical current, but their patience bids fair to be severely taxed. Taranaki having the advantage of a suitable hydro-electric generating station, deriving its power from the Waitara and Mangonui rivers, naturally desires that power to he utilised without delay, and it is to be hoped that the strong league which has been formed will be successful in its efforts to indues the Government to proceed with*the subsidiary scheme in the very near future. New Plymouth- can get along for a while on its present available hydro-electric power, but would welcome the advent of the Taranaki scheme as in the best interests of the whole province. The Mayor of Stratford has acted iii a most public spirited manner in initiating a movement that should, if vigorously and judiciously prosecuted, confer inestimable benefits on the province. There should not be the slightest difficulty over obtaining the money required to covfcr the cost. A work such as this is of national importance and has a direct bearing on the economical position of the Dominion, while it behoves the Government to do all in its power to help production and to lessen its cost wherever possible.