ELECTRICITY FOR TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1921, Page 4

ELECTRICITY FOR TARANAKI.

lii liii’s election address at Mokoia on Tuesday evening, Mr. E. Dixon, the Government candidate, made references to the New Plymouth electrical scheme which do the town less l than justice. Having stated that he favored one electrical scheme for the whole province, he remarked: “Nfew Plymouth apparently desired to rdtain its own particular scheme in order to make a profit out of it,” and, later, in reply to a question, he stated that “what he wanted was a power board for the whole of Taranaki, so that all would share in any profits that might he made. A board should be formted to take over the New Plymouth and Hawera works, these to be used as subsidiary to the main scheme to come latter.” Mr. Dixon cannot be thoroughly acquainted with the position, or he would not have given expression to statements calculated to give quite a wrong impression. 4 Sixteen or seventeen years ago New Plymouth embarked upon its hydro-electric scheme, and ever since has been developing it and accepting big financial responsibilities therefor. At first it was not a great financial success, but the ratepayers had abundant confidence in itis ultimate success, and to-day their expectations have b6en realised. For the past two yeans the demand has been greater than the supply, but with the completion of thie works m hand the amount of power will be greatly increased, and it is hoped to have a good surplus for disposal to Inglewood, and, perhaps, the districts further south. New Plymouth has pioneered the scheme, accepted all the risks, borne all the losses -in the initial of the scheme, and is it not but natural that it should desire to retain control of its own works? New Plymouth has built u,p a profitable business from nothing; is it not entitled to the fruits of its industry and enterprise? New Plymouth has not shown a selfish spirit over the matter, as Mr. Dixon infers. Far from that. It had the opportunity of getting out of all its financial troubles and 'having the whole scheme completed by an English syndicate desirous of establishing electrical smelting works in the town, but it preferred to cro on developing the works in its own way, and ’selling its surplus power o the rest of the province until the Government power is available. Mr Massey lias expressed the opinion that New Plymouth should have accepted, the offer of this English syndicate, whoso bona (ides he vouched for. Certainly m some ways it would have paid New Plymouth, but it would not have paid Taranaki, or it will be many years before the Lament Rawer is av«. New

Plymouth is doing its best to provide the power in the meantime. There is no question of New Plymouth exploiting the rest of Taranaki, for the price at which the current is sold, and the whole of the conditions, are fixed by the Government, and so far they have been pretty exacting. This is the crucial point. The outside districts are absolutely protected. Mr. Dixon should commend New Plymouth for its work and enterprise, not blame it. By all ibeans form a power board outside' of New Plymouth’s area, and arrange for erecting a transmission line and reticulation of town and country districts. The cost of this work will be much less burdensome than if the districts had to develop their own power as Well, as New Plymouth has done. They should be gratified at the probability of obtaining power in the near future, alt a low cost, without having to find the money, for the main capital works. There is nothing to prevent them from, making profits from the retail of tin© power, but it is not reasonable for them to expect to participate in profits derivable from the New Plymouth district, the result of years of careful and efficient management, and not a little risk and enterprise.