HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1920, Page 4

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Mr. W. R. Wright, chairman of the Egmont County Council, told the members of that body on Tuesday that New Plymouth had electric power to the extent of 5000 h.p. running to waste, which was sufficient to supply the district as far as Patea. This is not quite the case. At the present time 1000 h.p. is harnessed, and when extensions were mooted it was thought another 1000 could be obtained from the Waiwakaiho. Fortunately the Council, before embarking on the improvements, called in a gifted engineer, who showed that by providing storage capacity, going further up the river, and utilising all the water of this river and a neighboring stream, current from 8000 to 9000 horse power could be generated. The Council adopted the scheme, and proceeded to put into effect the first section giving an additional 2000 h,p., making 3000 in alt. The work is being pushed on as fast as possible, and no doubt, when it is finished, another section will be undertaken, if there is a demand fos the power. The point is that everything is being done to develop the hydro-elec-tric resources of the Waiwakaiho. It is quite a different thing to say that 5000 lip. is running to waste. One may as well say that 20,000 h.p. is running to waste throughout Taranaki, for no douijfc many of the other streams and rivevs could be harnessed—at a price. On a previous occasion we had occasion to remark that Mr. Wright was on the wrong tack if he desired the coastal district to obtain current as speedily as possible. It's quite idle to 'rail against New Plymouth just because it has pioneered its hydro-electrical resources, shouldered all the responsibilities, takiia all the risks, and now is enjoying some of the fruits of its enterprise. Far better to help the town to proceed with tije development of the electrical energy and have it made available for not only the coastal districts, but the whole of tne province. Let him, and the others interested, concentrate upon getting the transmission lines erected, and see that the price charged and conditions made by New Plymouth are fair and reasonable, though, as we have pointed out before, prica and conditions are matter which rest entirely with the Government. Nationalisation of the Waiwakaiho scheme, as some would have it, would not improve the position at all; it certainly would not result, in a reduction of the price at which the power will be sold when the full scheme is developed, Rather the reverse. Surely in a matter so vital to the province we can look for more friendliness and unity among our' public men.