NEEDS OF TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1919, Page 5

NEEDS OF TARANAKI.

DEPUTATION AT STRATFORD.

ELECTRICAL POWER. Hon. Sir William Fraser, Minister of Public Works, and Hon. H. D. Guthne, Minister of Lands, arrived in Stratford by the mail train last night, accompanied by their private secretaries. After dinner they met deputations comprising about lifty representatives of Taranaki local bodies and chambers of < commerce, on various matters of interest to the district. There were also present: Messrs. S. G. Smith (M.P. for Taranaki), G. V. Pearce (M.P. for Patea), and W. T. Jennings (M.P. for Taumarunui). Mr. J. W. McMillan (Mayor of Stratford) presided, and welcomed the Ministerial party to Stratford; Mr. Jennings introduced the speakers, and expressed regret that Captain Hine, M.P. for the district, was not-present. Of the matters to be discussed, hydro-elec-tricity was of the greatest importance, as was also the Stratford—Okahnkura railway. The latter, outside the New Plymouth harbor, was the most imports ant work to Taranaki. Mr. J. W. McMillan said that there was no need to stress the importance of a hydro-electric supply to Taranaki, as the Government quite recognised it The deputation wished to know definitely when Taranaki would be linked up with the Government scheme, as if they coold not obtain a. supply from the Government within a reasonable time it meant that the whole of the Taranaki counties and boroughs would have to go in for a scheme at great expense, and it would have to be more or less abandoned when the Government scheme came through. Mr. C. H. Burgess (Mayor of New Plymouth) stated that he was present to give weight to the deputation. Taranaki desires to get power at the earliest possible moment. He, however, would not agree that there was no prospect of a supply for' North Taranaki, as they had a scheme now in hand to develop be* tween 6000 and 8000 h.p. Other speakers were Messrs. J. B. Crump (Mayor of Eltham), T. McFhfllips (Waimate County), W. R. Wright (Egmont County), J. B. Murdoch (fiawera County), and R. Morgan (Mayor of Waitara), who stressed the benefit that the farming community would and the saving to the roads by the haulage of coal, and also the saving of coal used. Mr. G. V? Pearce, M.P., spoke. The Minister of Public Works, in his reply, slated that he was fully aware of the importance of disseminating a supply of electrical power all through the North Island as early as possible. He denied that he had stated it was proposed to go on with the Shannon scheme first. Experiments were now being made with the foundations of the dam for the Waikato scheme, and as soon as possible it was hoped to link up this scheme with the Mangahao scheme, and then supply Taranaki with electrical power. The Mangahao scheme, being the smaller one, would no doubt be completed first, and possibly might supply a part of Taranaki. Under normal conditions the schc.-ies should bo linked up in four or five years. He was surprised to hear that New Plymouth would develop 0000 or 8000 h.p., and hoped they would, as no doubt they would have power to spare for surrounding settlers. There was no reason why that scheme should not be gone on with, also the smaller scheme, but they could not expect the Government later on to purchase the head works, as the Government would have an ample supply of its own. The transmission lines would he useful. He pointed out that the Government would not interfere with these schemes, provided power could be supplied as cheaply as the Government could supply it. In conclusion, he reiterated that he and his colleagues were very anxious that electrical energy should be available for Taranaki, and the whole of the North i Island. Hon. Guthrie also spoke, stating that no one was more earnest in the matter than Sir William Fraser and his colleagues. STRATFORD-OKAHUKURA RAILWAY. Mr. F. S. Johns, chairman of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, urged the completion of the Stratford-Okahukura railway as speedily as possible by pushing on the work from both the Stratford and Auckland ends. He referred to its great importance to the district. Other speakers were Messrs J, W. McMillan (Mayor of Stratford), J. B, Richards (chairman of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce), G. V. Pearce and S. G. Smith, M.P.'s. The Minister of Public Works referred to the great difficulty in obtaining men. He hoped that hy the time Parliament met the men would be available, and he hoped to put a sum on the estimates to enable the line to be pushed through as speedily as possible. He quite recognised the importance of the line, which would be of great benefit to other parts , than the district it actually served. He also referred to the need for adopting an emigration policy to obtain men. OPUNAKE RAILWAY. ATessrs McPhillips (Waimate) and W. R. Wright (Egmont) urged the claims of the Opunake railway. The Minister stated that the line should be completed to Opunake and continued around the coast. He was quite prepared to go on with the line to Opunake as soon as he could got a gang of nien, and had given the Engineer in Chief instructions to that effect some time ago. The Ministerial party proceed to V.'haligamomona by motor car this morning, visiting the proposed Strathmore tunnel en route. They will spend the afternoon in the Whangamomona district and. after a public dinner in the evening, will receive deputations on matters of interest to the district, proceeding on to Ohura to-morrow morning.