HYDRO-ELECTRIC POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 103, 3 May 1922, Page 4

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POLICY.

! — . » ' LOCAL V. NATIONAL. IMPORTANCE OF ARAPUNI. i (By Telegrapu.—Special to 'Stnr.'j WELLINGTON, this day. When a deputation from the WαI nganui-Rangitikei Power Board interviewed the Minister of Works to-day with the object of securing a larger amount of electrical power from Mangahao, than had been allocated, or in t.ie alternative, to be permitted to develop .its own power source at Karioi, the Hon. ' ■)■ G. Ccates made an important statement regarding the general policy; governing such situations. The Minister, : while willing to give permission to have a complete investigation made ?o a< to ascertain the pitrbable cost of power locally developed, said he was very care- " ful about authorising new schemes Which would conflict with national development. All he allowed the board to generate would 'be so much less power I which could be sold from the State schemes. He had had information from 'Auckland intimating the practical accep- : lance of contract-, which meant, deh"jnitely ucmniitting the Government In the development of the Arapuni scheme j—a big- development of 40,0110 kilowatis. .They would have to get sale for it, and to do so would mean going down even Ito Taranaki, and joining up with v line ■ from Mangahao. This would eventuata in sis or seven years. He had to decide whether he would allow a separate local scheme when it was possible to secure power from the national scheme without waiting much longer than for lecal development. He was asking jthe engineers when they could tell "iitni definitely the date on which power would ,be available from YVaikaremoana anil ! Arapuni, as they were both factors in i the future supply of Taranaki and Wanganni. I —,