The Dominion WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1932. ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 15, 12 October 1932, Page 8

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1932. ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

T . <« nn doubt a subject for pride that New Zealand at present should be “equipped electrically to an extent which wffih disproportion between this expenditure and the Xe of the pop™atio„ for the. obligabons which tt involves The National Expenditure Commission thought . “Tt seems ” it said in (its report, “that the Dominion has progressed too ranidlv in’the matter of hydro-electric development, while the establishSt KeXX way tave a detrimental ««««. the coal industry and upon local labour conditions. It is true tnat there appears in the Budget a return showing that the gross revenue from all sourS- of‘hydro-electric supply during the past financial year, £6BO 000, yielded a profit of £37,000 after paying.all working expe interest, and making ample provision for depreciation. These however, are collective returns, and lest thej should encourage undue optimism, it ought to be mentioned that the N^ 10I l a Expenditure Commission has presented an analysis no t juite so reassuring. The Lake Coleridge sc heme stetes the Comrntssion, di closed a profit on working expenses to March 31, 1931, of £7, . “The other two show accumulated losses totalling £505,602, and further cSt of the repairs to the, Arapuni Station wi 1 -throw an additional burden on the accounts.’ It would thus appear that the Lake Coleridge scheme is, so to speak, ‘ carrying the baby. It is clear that further developments in the supply of electric power should be on a strictly conservative basis, and greater attention given in the future to the possibilities of fuel power stations, rhe latest report of the. British Electricity Commissioners indicates that increasing use is being made of pulverised coal for steam-driven generating stations. Therein is opened up a future market for our own coal supplies. No doubt had it been possible to rely upon regular supplies of coal this country would not have been committed to some, at least, of the present hydro-electric schemes. But through persistent stoppages in the mines Labour destroyed public confidence and lost a valuable market. i With the hydro-electric schemes as a reliable basis of power supply, there can now be less risk and, incidentally, less cost in meeting, future requirements by fuel stations. "Hie capital outlay on these is proportionately less, and the returns more immediate. In the meantime, it is to" be hoped that the Government will give serious attention to the Commission’s opinion that such -enterprises should be completely divorced from politics.