CANTERBURY’S LONG START

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1921, Page 3

CANTERBURY’S LONG START

OTHER CLAIMS FOR POWER. Having conjured up visions of a rosy hydro-electric future, the 'Minister of Public Works brought his hearers at Lake Coleridge down to earth rather suddenly on Saturday. “We have to provide for all New Zealand,” he said. “Canterbury* is not a pocket borough, and We must make conditions equitable everywhere. You have heard of a p’ace called Auckland, I suppose.” The Minister then enumerated the power schemes which the Government is preparing to develop—Arapuni (Auckland), Mangahao (Wellington), and Monowai (Otago). “Industries have grown up in Canterbury in anticipation of power,” he went on. “May I say that you have a very long start on the rest of New Zealand? As far as possible, I will see that the available money is wisely and well spent. If the power from Lake Coleridge were doubled, we could sell it to-morrow, but we must see that, other places have the same advantages as Christchurch.” Owing to its natural advantages, Christchurdh, and Canterbury with it, had a tremendous future in industry, but the Government’s duty was to look at New Zealand as a whole. So far as he could see, there was nothing to prevent the development of 40,000-h.p. in the province. The only question was how mudh money was available. It was for the people of Canterbury to assist by helping the Minister of Finance.