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Lake Coleridge Power-works. Roads to gain access to the site of the power-station, and also connecting the power-station to the inlet and outlet works, have been constructed. The main road between Coalgate has been taken over by the Department, and will be maintained during the construction period. A contract has been placed for driving a tunnel between Lake Coleridge and the valley of the Rakaia. and the work is now in progress. A contract has been placed for construction of cottages for the working staff at Lake Coleridge, which is now approaching completion. The following contracts have been placed for plant and machinery : Pipe-line, turbines, generators, switch-gear, transformers, overhead travelling-crane, insulators for transmission and distribution lines, and the wire conductors for same. For this purpose aluminium has been adopted in place of copper, as the market prices at the time enabled a saving of £10,950 to be thus effected. Tenders will shortly be invited for the construction of the power-station building and for the supply of poles and standards for the transmission-line. A provisional contract has been entered into with the Christchurch City Corporation for the supply of electrical energy by the Ist May, 1914. It is anticipated that 4,000 h.p. will be required for this puipose within five years from the date atjwhich the supply becomes available. Negotiations will shortly be entered into with prospective power-users in Canterbury generally. Supply of Electrical Power in the North Island. This subject is being studied in a comprehensive manner with a view to making electricity generally available throughout the Island, not only for town use and industrial purposes in the neighbourhood of towns, but for working light railways, also main lines under construction, and eventually the existing main lines. In this way the interest of the country as a whole is being considered rather than the interest of any particular district. This involves considerable investigation into the probable demand in different districts, the distribution of the population and industries, and the best source or sources of supply. An estimate has been made of the cost of the works at Waikaremoana and the Hutt River, and the possibilities of the Makuri, Waiohine. and Tauherenikau Rivers have been investigated and estimates made, in order to ascertain their possible use as sources of supply. Estimates have been made of the cost of transmission-lines and of primary distribution necessary to adequately serve the different districts. Investigations are proceeding with a view to ascertaining the best and most economical method of supplying electricity for all purposes throughout the Island. Railway Electrification. A complete and exhaustive report, has been prepared regarding the electrification of the railway between Lyttelton and Christchurch. The report deals with the electrical system to be adopted, tne capital cost of the same, also the working and other annual expenses under electrical operation. Characteristics of runs between the different stations for various classes of trains have been calculated and plotted, and from these have been constructed energy-consumption curves, enabling an accurate forecast of the load on the substation to be plotted. The nature and number of the electrical equipments required have been fully investigated and determined, and an investigation has been made of the general lay-out and design of the overheadconstruction. As a result of the latter investigation the catenary system of overhead-construction is considered the most suitable, excepting in the tunnel, for which a special suspension has been designed. The nature and extent of the railway traffic between Wellington and the Hutt Valley and the best manner of dealing with the same by means of an electric service is being investigated, including the size and frequency of motor-car trains, and also the terminal arrangements in Wellington. I have, &c, Evan Parry, M.1.E.E., A.M.1.C.E., The Hon. the Minister of Public Works. Electrical Engineer.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l2.