Unnecessary Crisis

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26832, 10 September 1952, Page 8

Unnecessary Crisis

The power crisis that is now imminent should take no one by surprise. There have been steadily more ominous signs over the last three months. Had they been heeded there would be no crisis. Fortunately, the full effect of the drastic cuts that will be necessary if there is no rain in the mountains is not likely to be felt very deeply in most cases, or for very long, now that the weather is milder and the prospect of a nor’-wester comes closer. It is to be hoped that even the thought of them will be enough to warn the State Hydro-electric Department and the supply authorities that they must manage things better in future years. It is all very well for the district engineer of the department (Mr W. H. Gregory) to say that if compulsory cuts had to be made he

hoped those who had not played the game would be the first to be cut and that certain supply authorities had made cuts only to help themselves and not the power position. Since the department has been aware that some authorities were not playing the game it should have done something about it before this in fairness to those supply authorities which have complied with the department’s requirements, and in fairness to the customers of these authorities. If supply authorities had kept, or had been kept, to their allocations, or reasonably near to them, this winter there would not have been the rapid run-down from bumper storage in the lakes to nearexhaustion, even though the winter has been unusually dry. If the summer is dry, too, the opening storage will not be as good next winter; and it will not be possible to draw so heavily on the lakes. Nor will the position improve much until the Roxburgh station is in service. To prevent an earlier and graver crisis than that now threatening, the department and the supply authorities will have to act more promptly and definitely to ensure that available water lasts right through the next few winters. If a nor’wester happens to come early, it may mean that the department and the supply authorities will have saved power that they might have sold; but public authorities are not entitled to gamble on this commercial risk. Their duty is to see that real hardship is not caused by the sudden application of oppressive restrictions. Consumers in their own interests should usp power prudently, too, and comply with any directions they may be given. Consumers who do not play the game, like supply authorities which do not play the game, should be the first to suffer. If this is well enough understood there will be less excessive use of power.