HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1919, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

FOR THE COASTAL DISTRICTS. DISCUSSED BY EGMONT COUNTY COIi.N'CIU N.P. SCHEME FAVOBED. ' The question of hydro-electrical energy for » the Eginont County, which has been before the County Council for some time past, was further discussed at a special meeting of l the Council yesterday, when the chairman 1 ) (Cr. VV. It. Wright) submitted a report from i the Committee (Crs. Young, Campbell and him- < ' self), that had been set up to wait on tiie j New Plymouth Borough Council Jn regard to tho extension of the New Plymouth supply *• ' to the coastal district. « - The report stated thai the chairman and i Cr. Young had met the New Plymouth Borough I electrical engineer, who satisfied them on the advantages of obtaining power from New Ply- < mouth, and at such low rates as to preclude Rny possibility of getting remunerative facilities • troin any local scheme, and the Government i proposals, being still in a jiobulous state, might i take 8 to 15 years to reach Taranakl, while 1 the New Plymouth scheme would be available 1 In Egmont In two years. Although the charges I were not quite as low as the original Lake Coleridge scheme (these having resulted in a loss of £35,000 to the Government), yet they J compara favorably with the new scale of prices, that was, of course, providing New Plymouth developed over COOO-h.p, but as Inglewood, Stratford, Eltham, and Patea were all ! out for cheap power from New Plymouth, they i felt assured that the maximum power, 8000l h.p., which could I obtained through the I present loan, would he developed and profit* , ably absorbed, and this would allow of the j reticulation to be dono at Lake Coleridge charges. Besides, it was probable that the license to be Issued to Xew Plymouth would < contain an arbitration clause to prevent over* charges. Egmont County could get full supply of power at something like per hp., 1 which worked out about Id per unit. Ingle- I wood was buying at 1 l-3d per unit, while it i cost Stratford over 5d to reticulate their power. This Committee therefore recom- i mended the Immediate formation of a Power i Board, and the cost or establishing same to be | discussed at the next ordinary meeting of the Council. When people know that hydroelectric power had given the town of Christchurch and the farmers in surrounding districts ' who gat that power a big lead, estimated at ] t 10 yeirs, over districts who had not tliat j power, it was easily' seen what Egmont County 1 was losing every day. The chairman in amplification, remarked that ] r the evidence of the experts was strongly in favor of the New Plymouth scheme, pintlcu- ' 1 larly that given by .Air. S;pv:r.rr, engineer at 1 * I'aleu. He regretted that the New Plymouth i ! papers did not report move fully the evidence . or the experts, as they nave information that ' 1 would havo proved most instructive for the ! farmers of tho dMrhi. The evidence . would have boosted New Plymouth much more 1 than any one. that had not hoard the evidence ' could have believed He did not think there * was any hope of gating a supply cheaper , i than from Now Plymouth as it would be im- ' k possible to generate the power for under 1 ' id per unit. i Cr. Campbell: Then why is Moa district i fighting the schome? The chairman said that only a section of Moa was opposed to it, and that was becr.usw l they wanted to force the Inglewoou Borough . to take up the Manganul Illver scheme. Cr. O'Brien held that tho power from Xew Plymouth would expend itself before it reached ) Opunake owing to the loss due to the distance. , The Opunake Town Board had borrowed £7OOO i to supply power in Opunake, and though it was said In New Plymouth that the Opunake * scheme would only supply over a radius of -] a n.ile, it would be abie to supply over a radius of six miles, and would be able to supply Oaonul and Pihnma factories. In face of the face that on account of the shortage of water In the Walwakaiho in the summer time, the electric supply would not be sufficient to reach Opunake, it would be ns well to do nothing to prejudice the local scheme. The r time would come when New Plymouth would , welcome the aid oi' the Opunake scheme. Tho chairman said there was no antagonism J between the two schemes, hut New Plymouth ; I could supply the cheaper power. Moreover, I tho Government scheme would cotn6 out in a > few years. If the Waiwakalha got low in 1 the summer, so would the Wniau. 3 Cr. O'Brien said that Opunake could utilise ■ t a basin of about six acres. . Cr. Campbell was satisfied the big scheme was the best. He understood, however, that i It would not be undertaken without the support of outside districts, hut beforo doins anything they should confer with the Opunake Town Board. Tho chairman said that he hnd no intention j of blocking the Opunake scheme, but tho whole * county from Puniho to Awatuna required electricity, and action could not he delayed. Cr. O'Brien favored consulting the Opunake 8 Town Board and moved in that direction. The chairman pointed out that Jt was neces-.. * sary first to form an Klectric Power BonJI, as t the County Council had none. A member j • t from Opunake as well as from various dairy factories, etc., would bo on the Power Board. , C*. Campbell J 3 In reply to a question, Mr. Rogers, who P is a member of the Opunake Town Board, said that the present Town BonTd scheme only proposed to provide light and power for the ' ? town district. By increasing the size or j tho works, power could bo prorlded over a • , rndhra of six or seven miles, but it would be ' " more costly than per unit to generate. 1 The present proposal would generate 75 to 80* < h.p., and would allow a little power to spare , outside the town, but the works could be ' increased up to 150 or IGO-h.p. ' Cr. Young said the whoio coast wanted I electrical power, and it seemed to him that ( New Plymouth was the cheapest source. Moreover. the New Plymouth scheme being a large one. would probably be nationalised by 1 the Government. , The chairman, after a little further dis- \ cussion, ruled the motion out of order. Tho chairman then moved that the report 1 be confirmed. I I Tills was seconded by Cr, Young. Cr. O'Brien then moved, .is an amendment, ■ > that the formation of the Board be held over 1 a until after the Opunake Town Board had been ] consulted. This was seconded by Cr. Campbell and 1 carried. i