POWER FOR HEATING

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28131, 21 November 1956, Page 9

POWER FOR HEATING

Manufacturers’ Protest STRONG CRITICISM OF MINSTER “It is time the Government gave us more consideration and less hindrance,” said Mr T. L, Uren. chairman of the power and fuel committee of the council of the Canterbury Manufacturers Association. He expressed strong criticism, of the attitude of the Minister in charge of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr W. S Goosman) to restrictions on the use of electric space heating in industry. The council had before it a file on the matter which included a report from Mr Goosman sent on by the Minister of Industries and Commerce <Mr E. H. Halstead), who was approached when he was in Christchurch, a letter from the secretary of the association (Mr R. T. Alston) to Mr Goosman, and the Minister’s reply to that. After Mr Uren’s comments, the council decided that the matter would be pressed further with the Minister, and that letters would be sent to power authorities with Mr Uren’s report. Mr Alston’s letter said that his council had expressed concern that the department was refusing to allow electric space heating in factories established in the South Island. The council felt that while there were millions of units of electricity going to waste over the spillways at the Roxburgh hydroelectric plant, the Government should stand by its policy to assist and encourage industry to establish itself in the South Island. Mr Goosman’s Reply Mr Goosman’s reply said that this particular restriction had been in force since 1948, and the continuation of it had only been seriously raised since the Roxburgh power station was brought into commission. The reasons for no change having been notwithstanding Roxburgh power being available, had been widely publicised by the department. In the North Island after Maraetai came into operation and ample power was available for all ordinary purposes. the restrictions against" which the council protested were strictly retained.

“There is no question of my department having any interest other than providing the future electric power requirements of the country. It has been estimated that we need at the very least £500.060,000 in the next 19 years to provide the additional power requirements, and this sum could be greatly increased if we thretv away our existing assets and replaced them with assets which could only be created at higher cost.

“However, I have already given an undertaking to the Electrical Supply Authorities Association that I would have the whole question of the continuation of the control on spaceheating investigated.” “I have some rather strong views on, this situation and the treatment

that industry seems to be getting at the hands of the Government.’’ said Mr Uren. “Mr Goosman did say that we would have a surplus of power for 10 years. He is now talking on the other side of his face. “Industry is being restricted while Messrs Goosman and Halstead are passing the buck between them. If there are any controls or restrictions they seem to be passed on to industry. “I think it is time we all became a little more critical of the treatment we have had from Government departments and others instead of being so complacent as we have been in the past.” said Mr Uren. Sight must not be lost of the fact that industry paid five times the rate a unit that any other user paid, he said. The diversity of the domestic load was poor compared with industry. “It is the domestic load that causes the spending of the £500,000.000 that Mr Goosman talks about and not industry. The peaks appear on Saturdays and Sundays to a large extent. 1 ’ Mr Uren said that they could enjoy electric space heating in their homes at a charge of about «d a unit. “But in our businesses we have been slogged all along the line. Now, while the lakes are overflowing and the turbines are idle, Mr Goosman says: ‘lndustry, thou shalt not.’ ’’ If industry was to be efficient and was to compete with countries on a lower standard of living it must have power. “Wc should be able to have power where and when we want it and I think we are entitled to have it at a reasonable cost,” said Mr Uren. “Unfounded Statements” “I am surprised that the Minister should make unfounded statements in comparing the efficiency of electrical power and gas,” he said. “Even the schoolboy knows that when other means of fuel are used a lot of heat goes up the chimney.” If the Government would give industry the power it promised individual industries should be capable of deciding what source of heat should be suitable for their needs, said Mr Uren. “If the State Hydro-electric Department cannot supply the need for electricity, it has had a long time to think about it and I think it is time it did something about it. When Mr Alston said he thought the local power authorities would be with the manufacturers on the matter, Mr Uren said he thought most of the power boards throughout the country would give support. They wanted to sell power.