ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR THE WAIKATO.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 142, 15 June 1920, Page 9

ELECTRIC CURRENT FOR THE WAIKATO.

« A XEAV PROPOSAL.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) IIAiIfLTOX, this day. . Mr. Henry Roche, M.X.Z. Soc, C.E., who constructor] the Tforahora power plant for the AVaihi Gold Mining Co., and was for sixteen yenn) the constructive engineer at Waihi for the same company, has made an interesting proposal to further use tile Waikato River for t!.e purpose of generating electric current. which is co badly needed i:i the Waikato district at present. Discussing the question as to whether there were not other places between Horahora and Hamilton where power could be obtained, and a power plant erected to supply the urgent needs of the district without waiting fur the great Arapuni plant to come into operation la matter of at least live years), -Mr. Koehe said a dam could be constructed at a small cost « few mile? above Cambridge, where the banks of the AVaikato River are very high, and of a suitable nature. The water would be backed up as far as tho of Horahora, giiving a 30 or 40 feet fall, and taking the ilow of the river at lO.(H)l) cubio feet per sec md as an average, this would give 'between '.;n,OOO *m) -IOiOOO liorsc power. Mr. Roche says that an enginec would have to. carefully check levels and gain other uKcessary details, but from the (Mr. Roche's) intimate knowledge of the «oi>ntry, he is certain that no great ttilViculties present themselves.