HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1920, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

THE NEW PLYMOUTH SCHEME. DISCUSSED BY EGMONT COUNCIL. Cr. W. R. Wright, chairman of the Egmont County Council, at whose instance the conference of local bodies to discuss the formation of a HydroElectric Power Board for Taranaki was held at Stratford, gave a brief report of the outcome of that conference to the Egmont County Council at the meeting of that body yesterday. The scheme at present was to get the power from New Plymouth, where 5000-h.p. was running to waste every day, according to the opinion of various experts, and he considered that they should get a Power Board established as soon as possible. In reply to Cr. Campbell, the chairman said that he believed New Plymouth was against the formation of one Power Board. Their idea was that there should bo a number of small boards established to whom they could sell the power and reap the benefit. If (hero was one board for th < whole of Taranaki that board would control the power.

Cr, Campbell asked what could be done if New Plymouth was against the scheme.

Tho chairman pointed out that New Plymouth waß working under a license, which the Government mlgnt not renew if they did not give a square deal. He considered the 5000-h.p. from New Plymouth could, with the subsidiary r.u'pplies, supply the district as far as'Patca. The first thing to do was to form a Power Board, which could lake an Interest in tho scheme, which was too big for any local body to handle. Cr. O'Brien considered that the Council should be cautious before it erected lines on a "ricketty" supply. People who claimed to know, held" that the supply from New Plymouth would'not he sufficient to supply the coast. For the Egmont County Council to embark on an expensive scheme without being' absolutely certain that it would bo a success, would be to inflict an injustice on the ratepayers. It would be better to go on as they were going. The chairman' said that the Power Board would have the scheme tested by experts.

In further remarks, the chairman said that a meeting of the proposed HydroElqctric Power Board would be held on Thurday to consolidate what had been done.