HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 August 1919, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

nationalisation urged. At a meeting of the Moa Road Board on Saturday the matter of hydro-elec-trical supply was again discussed, when two notices of motion by Mr J. H. Lyon wcro brought forward. In moving that'the Minister of Public Works be asked to have an exhaustive survey mado of the hydro-electric sources of supply in Taranaki, Mr Lyon said that the former survey made in Taranaki was only a cursory one, as the object was to obtain a supply sufficient to generate 10,000 horse-power. Far less than that, however, should suffice to induce the Government to prosecute a scheme for the benefit of the district. Mr Todd seconded the resolution, which was carried without discussion. Mr Lyon then moved that all boroughs and local bodies in Taranaki Provincial district be circularised to obtain combined action for the development of hydro-electric power locally by the State. In speaking to the motion, he referred to the power conferred as local bodies by the Electric Power Boards Act of 1914, but remarked that boroughs had been working on a different footing, a 9 they had had the right to cater for themselves- The Power Boards Act, however, allowed them to extend their boundaries. He considered this was one of the faults of that Act, as it allowed any large and enterprising borough, if it chose, to monopolise the whole of the power that nature intended for a wide district. They would understand that a scheme was on foot to yoke 8000 h.p., practically equal to the Lake Coleridge scheme, which was the largest scheme existent in New Zealand and had lately supplied 6758 kilowats. Everywhere in New Zealand, and particularly in the South, they had grasped the great potentiality to a district consequent on the harnessing of hydro-electric power. In Southland and Otago they had borrowed £1,000,000 for the purpose of developing hydro-electrical power. All would remember the difficulty the late Mr Seddon had in nationalising the water-power. This was a national asset, which should be equally available to every man, woman j and child within reach of its, reticulation. If they assumed and established the principle that any borough that got in early could control or monopolise the water-power of any district; they would give to that borough, a commercial advantage that should be extended to everyone within that district. The late Mr Seddon jeal- ' c.usly guarded their water-power rights, and in that he was far-sighted. He would say that where ft power was shown to be—as a Taranaki source of power had been belauded to be—sufficient for all the requirements of Taranaki, it should become a national undertaking and not be monopolised by one small section. He pointed out that the Lake Coleridge power was sold to the Power Board at Christchurch at £4 10s per h.p., or £6 per kilowat, and, as a result, industries had made great strides that otherwise would not pay for want of cheap power. The New Plymouth Borough Council, he said, was ' taking no risk, because they were booking lip orders from the surrounding countries sufficient to make the undertaking pay in its initial stage. Christchurch was charged £4 10s whereas New Plymouth proposed to sell at £l2. Mr Lyon referred to the great advantage manufacturers possessed in the South Island owing to cheap hydro-electrical energy. Christchurch received £53,000 for its electrical energy last year, and took 2625 kilowats from Lake Coleridge, for which they paid £6 per kilowat Some of the electricity was sold five -times a. day. He quoted from a letter received from the Chrifttcharcji electrical engineer showing how cheaply energy was sold in Christchurch for all purposes including the charging of electric trucks. He also quoted from the Public Works statement, and from the reply to Mr Parry by Mr Lowe, engineer to the Auckland Gas Co., who feared the competition of the Aranui scheme; and gave authorities that, when developed, LatSe Colqridge would show a fair profit at £4 10s per horsepower The New Plymouth Council frankly stated they were not able to develop without outside assistance. This he considered would be sound policy, particularly when New Plymouth asked £l2 as against £4 10s. Cheap power was necessary for the development of their chief industries, and there were many industries which were now not payable that, if fostered by a low-rate of power, would become payable and employ a large population or induce a large population to come in. He referred to the move New Plymouth had recently made in extending the boundaries of its electric supply over their district and considered that this was a distinct menace and a killer to the smaller scheme they had in view. For that reason they should put up spirited opposition and call a meeting, to discuss the question of developing the scheme on similar lines to Lake Coleridge. This would not only put a value on all their farms, but on their productsi They had the assurance that New Plymouth could not develop the scheme by itself, and if others were asked to assist in developing a natural asset tliey should ask that those others be given a fair and equitable share of the enterprise for which they were paying. The chairman seconded the motion, which was carried.