SUPPLY OF POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 62, 15 March 1938, Page 11

SUPPLY OF POWER.

GOVERNMEAirS ATTITUDE. COUNTY COUNCIL CRITICAL. (From Our Correspondent.) COROMANDEL, Monday. The request made to the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, on his recent visit to Coromandel, that the l'ublia Workß Department should gt> into the question of providing electricity for Coromandel and Mercury was the subject of a letter to "the County Council at its meeting to-day. The Minister stated that a preliminary estimate for the construction of a line from Tapu to Coromandel, and in to Whitianga, and also to provide 10 miles of branch lines to supply county consumers, amounted to £22,900. On this expenditure it would be necessary to obtain an annual revenue of about 15 per cent, or £3450, in order to meet all capital charges and working coats. The Minister a.sked whether there was any prospect of consumers in the county providing this revenue. The chairman said this practically terminated all thought of bringing power to Coromandel. The promises of the Government that everyone would have electricity had proved to be worth nothing. The cost, in his opinion, was much understated. It was decided to write again to N. A. Wells, Limited, who supply electricity to Mercury Bay, asking them to go on with the license already granted by the council and by the Public Works Department, to install plant in Coromandel and reticulate the area as quickly as possible.