HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1921, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

REQUIREMENTS OF EGMONT COUNTY. NEED FOR LOCAL ACTION. At .the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday the question of obtaining a hydro-electric supply for the county was discussed, the opinion being expressed that apparently the claims of the district were being neglected by the Central League and that if anything were to be done they would have to consider a scheme of their own. The discussion arose from a letter forwarded by the Taranaki Progress League notifying the terms of subscription and asking the council to appoint a representative.

Cr. O’Brien thought they need not concern themselves aboijt the league, which appeared to confine itself mostly to central Taranaki. In the discussion about the Hydro-electric League not one word was said about Egmont and it was apparent that Egmont could not hope to obtain its supply from New Plymouth. The Opunake Town Board had taken steps to draw up a scheme which would be able to supply every farmer within a radius of nine miles from Opunake. He considered the Progress League was merely a mutual admiration society, and he did not desire to have anything to do with it.

Cr. Wright pointed out that the Progress League favored one power board for the whole of Taranaki. The meeting on the previous day was convened by the Eltham Hydro-Electric League, and its object was to obtain a supply of power from New Plymouth. This power would stop at Eltham. Cr. Trotter remarked that Inglewood had signed up for power from New Plyt mouth, and could not get it.

Cr. Wright considered that New Plymouth would have difficulty in raising half a million on its own to carry out the scheme, and therefore a provincial scheme was required. Cr. Campbell pointed out that New Plymouth and Hawera would not join in, and this would cause difficulties.

Cr. Wright thought Egmont must do something. Cr. O’Brien said that the only chance for the portion of the Egmont County outside the Opunake scheme’s radius was to develop their own schemes. He thought there were plenty of rivers available —viz., the Stony, Waiau and Kaupokonui, etc. Cr. Tosland asked whether the Government would develop the power. Cr. Wright said that the present proposal emanated from the Eltham HydroElectric League. Cr. Trotter pointed out that Opunake was applying for a powqr district, and only that area would be liable for a rate. If the people outside that area could get their supply from another district they were quite entitled to do so.

Cr. O’Brien pointed out that the engineer had stated that by storing the Waiau River for four hours out of the twenty-four they could supply an area of 9 miles radius from Opunake. Why not enlarge the scheme to store eight hours out of the twenty-four, and so supply a radius of 18 miles which would practically cover the whole county? Cr. Ferguson pointed out that by building other dams,the river could be utilised several times, as was done in the flaxmilling districts in Ireland. Cr. Green said there were too many engineers about the council. It was easy to say they could supply power all over the county, but the question was: How much power? Moreover, if, as Cr. O’Brien said, by storing the water in ths river for eight h r- welvt hours

the power could be duplicated or triplicated, why not store the water for twelve months and supply the whole of New Zealand? After a little further discussion the council decided to defer the appointment of a representative to a future meeting.