FOR THE FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 6

FOR THE FUTURE.

: ——r : ' , A POWER-HOUSE SUGGESTION; .EVANS BAY RECLAMATION RESERVE. It has been suggested that when the Evans Bay reclamation has been completed that .an area' should be set aside for the erection of a-power-houso for. tho electric, .tramways, and it is argued that this would .?upply power for •a long time to come,- and coal could be placed.straight into;tho bins. ', When seen on'the, matter, His Worship tho Mayor (tho Hon. T. W. Hislop) said that tho City Council had a right under the agreement to take;over arcertain area of the reclaimed, .land :for municipal purp.oses ; on payment of tho 'cost of tho reclamation,' and it would bo devoted : to,: the ; purpose mentioned ifthought necessary, but-it -.was quite impos--'sible to say, what. future developments, would, take place. In view : of; the,tremendous cost of building a new power-house, lie did. not think ; it would be, likely to pay. 'The saving which would result from , thei erection of a ■new building would not work out at more ■than the loss in some-other directions. • Mr. Stuart Richardson, City Electrical Engineer, pointed out' that thero was' ample--room ill tho present buildings to place in machinery to provide the necessary power for tho next fifteen .or twenty-years, and with tho erection of now. lines, more machinery could bo put in to cope with" the increased requirements. The present buildings, continued Mr. Richardson, could ; accommodate additional machinery to: supply 2000 horsepower more than at present. Not only that' but tho Council had the ground to provide Between 5000 and 6000 horse-power more. It was true that the'further the-lines went tho pressure on tho cables increased, and a cor- ' tain amount of boosting up was necessary ' but the difficulty was not extreme. ' As to tho cost of the cables, Mr. Richardson said' that-the largest sizo tho Council used cost;about £800 per mile, at present. The next size used cort about £600 por.milo! ■ Tlieso prices were, of course, oxclusivo of the cost of laying,' etc. '