INQUIRY IN HAND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 60, 11 March 1944, Page 4

INQUIRY IN HAND

FOR STEAM PLANT

PROBLEM OF MANPOWER

(Ey Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

One of the reasons for the Government being unable to fulfil its plans for the development of New Zealand's electrical supply system was the problem of manpower, stated the Minister of Works, Mr. oemple, in replying to criticism in connection with the present-day power situation.

"It is not necessary to stress to the average person that problems are created in every walk in life by reason of the depletion in manpower as the result of the war, but various representatives of power boai'ds seem to consider that preparatory work for new power stations should go on so that they should not suffer any hardship as the result of the war," added the Minister. "Let me tell theiri that they are lucky gentlemen indeed that their hardships have been so little, and let me assure them, too, I have sufficient faith in the people of this country to know that they have a greater appreciation of the difficulties confronting manufacturers in England than these selfappointed critics." Steam Generating Plant In discussing steam generating plant, the Minister said that certain financially interested parties and others had been pressing for the purchase of steam generating plant from Switzerland and Sweden (not Britain) and quoting attractive, but in the circumstances hardly practical, delivery dates for it.

"The chief electrical engineer. Mr. Kissel, in his reports to the Government, has frequently stressed the fact that if delivery of hydro plant was going to continue to be delayed, it would be necessary for the Government to consider purchasing steam generating plant to bridge the gap until hydro generating plant was available. Mr. Kissel is not averse to steam generating plant, as long as it is considered in its proper perspective. He has a preference for hydro plant, so have I. So has anybody who bears in mind that ultimately it is the consuming public which has to pay for the heavier costs of operation of steam generating plant. However, the question of obtaining steam generating plants is one that is being fully investigated in other countries, as well as Sweden and Switzerland.

"To be of any use delivery must be assured, but so far as Switzerland and Sweden are concerned, who can say when their borders will be free so that they can trade freely again with the outside world? asked the Mayor. "It would be futile, therefore, to place orders with either of these countries if we were to find ourselves in the same fix so far as delivery is concerned as we are at the present time. Far better, rather, to concentrate on getting delivery of the plant already ordered and in course of manufacture in England. And in my opinion, far better, too, to get our Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, who is in England at the present time, to press our claims with the English manufacturers than to send a delegation possessing far less standing overseas to do the same thing. Plant on Offer "Pe that as it may, however, there is an allegation that the New Zealand Government has been offered, but has not accepted a steam generating plant of 40,000 kilowatts manufactured by a Swedish (not British) firm. That is true, but it has not been disclosed that the South African Electric Supply Commission, for whom the plant has been manufactured, has not yet consented to its being released to New Zealand if New Zealand decided to acquire it, nor has it been disclosed that the plant consists of the generator only, not including the boilers, which would take 11 and 12 months, respectively, to manufacture. Even then, delivery is still dependent on the state of international relations and it is quite on the cards that the South African Electric Supply Commission, if it had a definitely advised delivery date, would not care to release the plant to New Zealand. Inquiries Being Pursued "Altogether, there are too many 'ifs' mixed up with the supply of steam generating plant from Switzerland and Sweden to make the proposition worthy of too serious consideration and to warrant our entering into any financial commitments— they would be to the order of threequarters of a million pounds—in anticipation of an indefinite delivery date. The Government's inquiries are being pursued, however, in England, Canada and the United States of America to see if steam generating plant can bo purchased there on definite delivery dates, and Mr. Nash is actively pursuing these inquiries. "I leave it to the public to decide whether the Government is doing its reasonable utmost in the circumstances, and I say to these gentlemen, who are so noisy in their denunciation of the Government and the chief electrical engineer, definitely and emphatically that all the publicity and denunciation in the world will not influence me one iota or bulldoze me into doing something that is not in the interests of the nation."