NEW ZEALAND'S WAFER POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 31, 6 February 1905, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND'S WAFER POWER.

Before leaving for tbe Xorth last Tuesday the Hon. \V. Hall-Jotte*, Minister of Public Works, was interviewed by a "Timar'u Post" reporter on th>j •question of tlie utilisation of ttw colony->, water power for the generation of electricity. The matter has been under consideration by the Cabinet for some time past, and. it will be remembered that llr Haoeoek. the American authority, mad.} a report of his observations, and the conclusions arrived at during the course of a short visit to the colony. Since the receipt of the report additional data havo been collected by the officers of the Department over which Mr Hall-Jones is Minister-in-charge. With the object of gaining still further information, Mr P. S. Hay, superintending , engineer of the Department, lia.3 within the past week been on a visit to Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, making further investigations.

When passing through Fairlie on Friday last on his way from Centra! Otago, Mr Hall-Jones was met by Hr Hay, who expressed himself as favourably impreseed as to the practicability of utilising the waters of the lakes for electric power-generating purposes, and in this connection the Minister gave some idea of the possibilities of the future. "Between Tekapo and Pukaki, ,, he said, "there is a. fall of 750 ft. but. the distance separating the two lakes is 13 miles. To connect them would entail a very heavy cost, and in this respect they do not compare favourably with Lakes Wanaku and Hawea, which at one part are onl" one mile and three-quarters apnrt; but there the fall is onJy lnOft. If the water from the two first-named kikes were brought down to a point a little to tha south of Fairlie the fall would he 1000 ft. A power station erected here would give electricity to the extent of 500,000 horsepower, and what this would mean can be gathered when it is considered that all the steam, gas, and oil engines in the colony do not exceed 200.000 horsepower. It would mean that every machine within reach of Christehurcli could be driven with, this power—including tho railway engines—at a Raving of quite half the present cost. The result cannot well be over-estimated. It would make New Zealand the manufacturing centra of the South Pacific. Xot only would we then grow our own wool, as at present, but the product could be made up at a cost that would allow us to compete in other markets, in spite of hostile tariff's. Australia or any other country south of the line does not possess siurii advantages as this colony iloos in regard to water power, and t am satisfied something will bo done in the near future in the matter of utilising this grteat force. That the project can be successfully carried out has been proved at N'ia'iara an.i ifl Switzerland. What is wanted is a scheme that can be put into effect in the near future at a cost which i.-» not prohibitive. A start' will have to be made on a. sma.ll scale, and this will undcubt edly lead to great things. 1 hope to ■ o something done in this direction «ooti : and it is with that object I am interestins myself in the matter.