ELECTRIC POWER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11534, 17 March 1903, Page 4

ELECTRIC POWER.

Mr Allo, whose genial presence and electric energy have dune go much during the Inst two or three weeke to kindle a glow of sympathetic interest in the public mind on the subject of transmission of power, has now returned to Wellington, having first raised the hopes of the Dunedin people almost to fever pitch by telling them that in the Waipori scheme they have " one of the cheapest and " beat financial schemes that have been " worked out in electrical transmiesion, and "it should be a financial success." We shall remember Mr Allo's visit, if only for his cheery optimism and lightning calculations. It has undoubtedly been of benefit in aroueing the public to the importance ot electrical transmission of power, and in directing attention to the leading sources of supply that seem to be available for this purpose. Something more is required, however, before the public can, with any show of reason, be asked to find the money for* any of the ventures proposed. We have already suggested that the other engineers who, it is understood, are to be engaged by the Government, should be given sufficient time to make a detailed examination into each proposed scheme, co that they may be able to report upon it in such a way as to command the public confidence. So far ac the Waimakariri and Rakaia are concerned, it would be well, we think, if tlie City Council were to prepare for the visit of the engineers by getting ready all available information that can be obtained from local knowledge of the rivers named. In particular, they ought to be armed with details of the special difficulties which have te be facea in the undertaking, since it is evident that any report prepared without a knowledge of those difficulties must be practically valueless. On the other hand,-if the public know that these difficulties have been iully laid before the visiting engineers, and the latter are able to chow how theee are to be overcome, it will be possible, with some confidence, to go tcJfche ratepayers with a scheme. A letter which we publish from a country resident, who knows the Kakaia well, shows how easen* tial it ia that any engineer who visits the locality should bate tfce full benefit of the exnerience of those on the spot. Cheerf optimism of the kind which is invaluable in drawing up a prospectus, would be out of place in a case in which the ratepayers are to be aeked to find a quarter of a million, or more, to be secured ac a perpetual charge trpon their properties, the interest on which will have to be met whether the undertaking ie a financial success or not. What the ratepatera have a right to expect in such a case ie that the best expert advice available shall be engaged to report on the scheme, and that the report shall be based on a full knowledge of the local circumstances.