"BACK TO THE SHALLOWS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 949, 17 October 1910, Page 7

"BACK TO THE SHALLOWS."

o IHE PREMIER AND WATER POWER. . Incidentally, when 'interviewed ■ reeontly by a Dominion, reporter, 'Mr: F. . Black, ; A.M. Inst. E.E., ■ referred to the contradictory,, nature .of the Primo Minister'? .utterances, at different periods,.on-the subject of hydro-eleetri-cal.power and . its development: and. application. _ "Considerable importance," said Mr.

Black, "has. been attached by the Prime Minister, and others to this ; country's water power, in view of the possible •electrification of the vrailwajis. Sir Joseph Ward's views on' tho • matter, . however, havo undergone 'some. changes. In; 1905, at Petoue on July 26, ho said thafc'he- 'believed the electri- ; '. ;fca,lian of some of our. . railways was within roasonablo distance of accom? plishinent.; .V .'• ■■ He had very little uoubt that)..withinthe .nest five years, • certainly within.- the nest. seven years, on,a number of lines of railway the . motive power: would be electricity.' ■ Op, February 17;(.,1908,' the; Prime , Minister stated, in reference to a request made by. a' Hamilton deputation ■ that '• the \ Government, should harness the Waikato River"Whether they . tvoro going to -igetj-the; low. cost which was assumed was another proposition. . At. one time he, as a layman, thought that they .could 'electrify tho railways . ' f rom the great w'ater 'powers -lvliicli were running to waste. . A recent re-, port . i.. showed that.this, would r'■■ tha ;most. costly .jmethipd 'of -running' .'. the railways'. V There was" siich."aV grave doubt about it, ;dueto ~the ar.onnons. ■ amount of capital ; required,v that it !-■' TO : U W J^ofe7 i in\.^' c dpinira'''ql.'experts,- (/! pay the. Government ; to carry out tho fidheme from-a railway .point : of view." ."Having thus : rightly ;, abandoned fiis layman views,'Vre'marked 'Mr;' Black, 'tho .Prime, Minister did not, however. - ; . V.'tp bo.*; guided ;in this matter.by the 'expe3s; ; ''JWiiKin j'.- . two.; years;>they ;' were. cast. ,-overboiard,.. a . course back to < the shallows set. • "On, June 27, 1910, in the course of a - - statement 'to tho press; on the .Govern-' . ment water-power. monopoly proposals, the..Prime. Minister spoke as follows v -,fTho Railway, Department, for instance, «oujd avail itself, of .such-, power "in ■ some, portions of-, 'the-s country. It • .would -probably cost £8,000,000 to givo the .various provincial centres ;a fairly; complete and thoroughly effective . .water-power supply, ..sufEcieni for trains ; ana manufactories and lighting.' ' "Tbo .'Hamilton deputationists," • concluded Mr. Black, "must havo doubts'> . fe s . 3 . ®rc. , this ,conf(raiul.atGd, themselves that ; 'aiter..all their prayer, for the har- . Bessing of the Waikato was not .so unreasonable as the Prime'.Minister's references to 'exports' opinions,' 'enormous capital,' and.'most costly method' 7 must. have, led them to 'suppose."