HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1922, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

THE POWER BOARD’S PLANS. OBSTACLES TO EARLY RETICULATION. At Monday evening’s meeting of the Eltham Chamber of Commerce several members referred in congratulatory terms to the successful inauguration of the Taranaki Power Board, and stressed the value to the community of cheap power, lack of which has retarded ttye progress of Eltham for long past. The meeting also congratulated Mr. H. G. Carman on his election to the position of chairman of the board.

Mr. C. A. Wilkinson suggested that while Mr. Carman might not be in a position to give them very much information he might discreetly enlighten them upon some points of interest in a matter of so great importance to the town, and district. He might for instance give them some idea as to when the power was likely to be available. Mr. Carman said it might possibly be eighteen months before hydro-electric power would 'be available in Eltham. As far as New Plymouth was concerned they would probably be in a position to supply it in February next, but the board could not complete the necessary work to accept delivery in that time. I This delay wasf due to the obstacles placed in the way of the constitution of the board by some who were opposed to it. It was only when they actually started to go into the question that they realised the difficulties they were up against. In connection with the reticulation of the district it was found that before consent to the work could be obtained they were compelled to prepare plans showing every road, every farm-house and every milking-shed they intended to supply, together with the distances their cables were from those of the existing telephonic and telegraphic lines. This had to be forwarded to the department before consent to the scheme could be obtained. This led to a question as to whether the board should have this prepared by the consulting engineer, or appoint an engineer of its own who could then carry out the work. There was the further question as to the basis on which the poll for the loan should be taken. They could not afford to risk opposition, althugh they did not anticipate any. When the poll was carried they had yet to raise the money —probably" the most difficult job of the lot —although it might be easier to raise £200,000 for a ■work of this nature than a small loan of £5OOO for some Jess-im-portant project. In regard to the new scheme brought before the first meeting of the board he could give them but little more information than had already been published. It was a scheme to develop 20,000 h.p.. or a continuous 10,000 h.p. He had visited the site of the proposed scheme recently, and from his experience on that occasion, remarked the speaker amid laughter, he was satisfied that there was ample rainfall. The Public Works Department had been asked to report upon l ue proposal and had notified the board that the matter would receive early consideration. If the scheme proved feasibly it would provide sufficient power to supply the whole of Taranaki and as far south as Wanganui. This view was based on the 1 Government’s report and estimate of the power required for the district, viz., 12,000 h.p. It was estimated that 5000 h.p. could be developed at a cost of £5O per h.p., and the whole scheme at a cost of £25 per h.p. The work carried out in the smaller schema would be used as a portion of the bigger one. In his opinion the New Plymouth Harbor Board had for years been the most important local body in Taranaki, but if the Taranaki Power 3bard decided to develop the 'big scheme under consideration they would take the premier position. Mr. J. Taylor said it was most satisfactory to know that the Power Board was now in operation and that the interests of the district would be well looked after. He also paid a tribute to the work of the old Eltham ahd Taranaki hyro-electric committees.

In reply to a question, Mr. Carman said the electric committee responsible for the constitution of the board had never investigated the suggested scheme to generate electric power from Ohura coal. —Argus.