POWER SCHEME.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 5

POWER SCHEME.

CtPUNAKE’S REQUIREMENTS. SEPARATE POWER BOARD FAVORED. VISIT FROM MR. BIRKS.i / 1 Mr. L. Birk©, chief Government electrical engineer, visited Opunake yesterday and met representatives of the town and country at the Opunake Town Hall, and discussed matters in connection with the Opunake hydro-electric schemes, and also the proposal to form a Power Board for the disffiet. Mr. C. A. Trotter, chairman of the Opunake Town Board, presided. Mr. Toogood outlined the Opunake scheme, pointing out that the Town Board had a license to supply electricity over an area with a nine mile radius. The Town Board’s scheme provided for the supply of 75 horse-power, which would be ample for the needs of the town district, but by providing storage so that the whole flow of the river could be stored for a period of 15 hours, it would be possible to provide much more power. Farmers and factories within the area were anxious to make use of this power, but the Town Board was not in a. position to finance the reticulation, and was therefor© willing to hand over its scheme to a Power Board, which would be elected by the ratepayers within the area. The Government had, however, proposed to establish a power district No. 17, known as the Hawera district, which included the district covering the towns of Hawera, Normanby Manaia, Opunake and continuing as far as Warea. The Town Board had, however, written to the Public Works Department stating that it was proposed to form a power board covering the licensed area. They had no desire to interfere with the proposal of the department to form the power board district No. 17, but offered the following suggestion: ’“That the Hawera district be formed forthwith, of which the Opunake licensed area shall be the inner area, or alternately that the Opunake district be allowed, but with the restriction under Order-in-Council that as soon as the Hawera district was ready for a power board the Opunake district is merged into it, with a safeguard as to the capital expenditure.” Continuing, Mr. Toogood said that they were anxious to know the attitude of the department in the matter. The Opunake district was, he pointed out, very isolated and it would be a very long time before they got power from the proposed Government scheme. ISOLATION OF THE DISTRICT. Cr. S. Campbell also referred to the isolation of the district, and stressed the point that the people were very anxious to get light and power. He was satisfied they would .have to work out their own salvatitA. Sftatford, Hawera and New Plymouth were against them, and if left to a large power district he was satisfied they would come in at the tail end. It therefore behoved Opunake to make a move for itself. All the farmers were anxious to have the electricity. Mr. Jas. Young said that in forming a power board it would be necessary to have an assurance that there would be sufficient power to link up all'dairy farms and factories.

In reply to Mr. Birks, Mr. Toogood said that the smaller scheme provided for 75 horse-power for the population of Opunake, viz., 520. With storage, as proposed, 287 h.p. could be generated, and there were 180 farms and 10 dairy factories in the area. Taranaki had been divided into four power districts, viz., New Plymouth (population 20,000), Hawera (15,000), Stratford (15,000), and Patea (8000). Patea, Hawera, Stratford, Inglewood and Waitara all had stations, but they were too small for economic and efficient supply. Kaponga had a station, which could be run unattended, and steps were being taken to link it up to another supply. No doubt the Opunake scheme could also be on automatic lines, and if it could be obtained from a source reasonably economically, he. would say go ahead. Mr. Toogood pointed out that their scheme could be developed at? £36 per horse-power at the turbine ONE BIG LINE. Mr. Birks pointed out the necessity of taking the back parts of the district into account, and also the need for connecting up the different electric systems in Taranaki, so that tjhe’.’e could be an interchange of power/ To run with 5 or 6 different system in a district was just as disastrous financially as to be run with five or six railway©, the systems not connected. There must be one line right from Patea to New Plymouth, linking up each of the six stations, to assist the big supply, which was being developed at New Plymouth, and the only wav was to have a comprehensive Power Board to cover the whole province. A meeting at Stratford favored the establishment of a power district for the whole province, and thig was so obviously right that he concurred with it.

Coming to their own district, he asked whether the formation of a power board was the quickest and easiest method to give the supply to the 180 farmers and 10 dairy factories, and he suggested that the simplest way would be for each to contribute a quota of the required sum by loan. Mr. Toogood questioned if this wquld be simpler, pointing out that there would be the difficulty of control. Moreovei a power board could be formed in three months, whereas there would be considerable delay in obtaining money as Suggested. PROPOSAL FOR OPUNAKE. Mr. Birks pointed out that New Plymouth, Hawera and Kaponga were going ahead with their schemes without asking for power boards. They were raising their money in three ways. In the first case one local body wae raising the money, in the second case a private company was raising it by debentures, whilst in the third case the Town Board was raising it in conjunction with the dairy factory Would not either of these methods suit Opunake? Personally, he was opposed to the establishment of a small power district. If he agreed to one he could not oppose others. Mr. Toogood said that they could not go ahead with the bigger scheme unless they had the assurance of the rating area. They did not want to block the larger power district, but they wanted power and they wanted it urgently, and were prepared to give an undertaking to let the power under the licensed area at any time.

Mr. Cameron, (Hawera) said that Ha’faTft favor©* rtepa feting taken to form

a provincial power district and would oppose the suggested Hawera-Waimate-Egmont district. Some further discussion ensued, in the course of which it was stated that Opunake would be prepared to hand over the whole of its plant in the event of a larger power district being formed. Mr. Birks said that removed some of his objections to the formation of a power district. . POWER BOARD FORMED. Mr. S. Campbell then moved that a Power Board be formed for the licensed area, or a© much thereof as can be supplied with electricity from Opunake. Mr. Morris seconded the resolution, which was carried without discussion. Mr. Birks said that the matter had been well thrashed out. He ©till thought they would get the power quicker if the method he suggested were followed. He hoped, however, that they would carry out the work so a© to get the maximum power out of the river. He promised to place their request before the Minister and to draft a clause providing for taking over as much of the'plant as, was required at a valuation.