STEAM-DRIVEN PLANT

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25206, 10 June 1947, Page 6

STEAM-DRIVEN PLANT

INQUIRIES MADE OVERSEAS “ GOVERNMENT DOING ITS . BEST ” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 9. “Renewed efforts have been made by the Government to obtain auxiliary electrical generating plant, including steam-driven plant, from overseas, but no reply has yet been received to cabled inquiries to the United States, Britain and other countries.” said the Minister of Works (Mr R. Semple) today. Mr Semple discounted “cheap talk” about the possibility of obtaining such equipment, and emphasised that the equipment recently installed at Arapuni had been ordered seven years ago. Because of war conditions there was fierce competition for generating equipment, and the Government was doing its best to see that New Zealand got her share. She could not expect more than that. The Government had not been asleep on this question, and investigations were made long before the cuts took place, because it was feared that if there were a dry spell there would be difficulties. Had it not been for the dry weather severe cuts would not have taken place. Mr Semole said he had just returned from Taupo. He had never seen the lake so low. Rain which was falling yesterday would take some time to make any impression. Nearly five years ago machinery was ordered for Waikaremoana, but even now the governor for the first unit had not arrived, and machinery for the second unit was not even in sight. It might be 1? months before the equipment fbr the third unit at Karapito wag in sight. Some second-hand auxiliary generating plant had been discovered for sale in the United States df America, but none was suitable for New Zealand, as it was old

and obsolete, and of the 60 cycle type. During the war generating capacity in New Zealand had increased by 67 per cent, and it had increased by 104 per cent, since the Government took office.