WATER-POWER CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 777, 29 March 1910, Page 7

WATER-POWER CONTROL

THE-GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME. •. PRODTKOTON OF NITRATES. A Interviewed at Auckland with regard to the Government's proposal to seek Parliamentary authority to spend half a million per annum on tie development of the water-power of the Dominion, the Hon. R. M'Kenzie told a "Star!' ' reporter that the Government : had, gone extensively into "the whole question of water-power, and. had. decided that 'i| was in the best interests of the community _'as a. whole that ; the ; Crown should follow some definite policy in regard to the development of this great • national asset. ..: '. ;•■ .-\ ' : --.:;".:

"Reports by experts have'been pre-, pared, and; laid before Parliament,"' continued the Minister, " and we'are no«r of opinion that, the time has arrivecl when the Government should itselll raise sufficient money to develop ;'som<t. of the easier schemes in the ; vicinity ol' centres where it is-likely ,that power will be readily used.: After careful consideration it has now been decided that no licenses shall be'granted to i private individuals. After -Parliament , grants the necessary authority,.a start ' will at once be made, and we are hopeful that the scheme will be put into operation immediately after nest session, ' It is proposed, for instance, tbat'when; the Arthur's Pass tunnel is finished, it should be worked by hydro-electric motors, driven by water-power, at each end of the tunnel. -It..is.also strongly probable that the railway' from Christchurch to Lyttelfan, through the tunnel, will be run by electric motors, as the fumes from.railway engines in tunnels . is one of the worst troubles the Railway Department at-present has to deal with."'-. : • -■',-.' :'-'•' ' '- ', : An jinteresting: phase> .of one or thai ■reports recently placed'before the Go-? vernment by an expert, the Hon. Mr.\ ; M'Kenzie adds, is. the propounding of ai scheme whereby it is estimated that that water-power in this' country could bej used to -produce: £6,000,000 worth oS< nitrates per year, and the value of thia< remarkable fertiliser is. increasing,, a« it is a well-known fact that the ChiUaaj nitrate deposits: are now nearly out. A similar scheme'of electricaß| generation is being employed in Norwayv at, the present time, and the scheme u r proving a success. If placed on a satis- j Factory footing in New Zealand, it is estimated that the" production of nitrates j by water-power would give employment to 10,000 men. The Government s proposals will come: before Parliament next session, and the House will then be asked to vote somewhere about £500,UUU tor the inauguration of the scheme, iha simplest and most necessary work will be first undertaken, and will be the fore-., runner of a general-undertaking for tn» harnessing and utilisation of t4e waterpower of the Dominion. ,