RIVER-HARNESSING. WILL NOT BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 41, 18 February 1908, Page 4

RIVER-HARNESSING. WILL NOT BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. [bi telegraph.— press association] HAMILTON, 17th, February. A largo deputation, comprising representatives from various local bodies, brought under thevnotice of the Premier during his visit to Hamilton the cmestion of the utilisation of water power for the provision of electric light and power. The immense possibilities of the Waikato River for the purpose were referred to, and it was urged that' the venture would prove a profitable one to the Government. The importance- of the work from, the municipal, tho manufacturing, the dairying, and the agricultural poiutß of view was urged upon tha Premior by tlw various speakers. UNPROFITABLE FOR RAILWAYS. In the course of his reply, Sir Joseph Ward stated that the matter was one of great importance, besides being a very extensive undertaking. ' The advantages of electrical powev could not ho'deniod for a- moment, apd the uses' to 1 which it could be put were very, groat. Whether they were going to get ?ljfe low cost which was assumed was another proposition./ At one time JiP) as a layman, thought they could electrify the railways from the great water powers which wero ruining to waste. A Teoent report, however> which ha 4 been obtained in Victoria, 'showed? that this would be the npgt costly method ot 'running the' railways. To put it briefly, there" was such a very grave doubt against it, due tp tho enormous amount of capital required, that it would not, in the opinion of experts, pay the Government to -carry out tho scheme ffom a railvray point of view. POWER-LET,TING PLAN TOO " '"COSTLY: The Government, added the Premier, originally intended to harness the waters themselves, and to let the power out, and the only thing that "stopped them was th-3 fact thai It would cost several 'millions of money. The " country 'could npt do all these things at once, fpr there was now about £60,000,000 of money .borrowed, and this financial year - they were spending about £2,900,000. If tho Government were going'to carry on a great system of harnessing the rivers, it meant that the construction of railways must be 'stopped while they carried ont the work, for 'the country had a limit on its borrowing powers'. ' However, - the Grpveinment' intended' to make regulations and 'to' gazette them- soon, stipulating tte conditipps' vndor which' w^ter-power co'iilo 1 be acquired "by v the government or private individuals' 6r. "'companies,' always providing that ihe poorest man would g^t his poorer at 'exactly the same- rate as the.rri6h.esi! ( Applause.) AN EKfHT iilliLION BURDEN. It would be, misleading on his part to say th^at the' Government .Hpa"^ going {q hold osl tQ'tJjes'e water, powers, for utilisation -by {be,-, State, ]iut re^nTa'tpns 'would be.'gazetfed'r as a^,hj'd stated, tp 1 provide, ior. their beitig • utilised ' in- the 'interests r'6f the people. At 'present the country could ~no6 afford' *to go J into the ' vpry a«t^tfur-pdsition of having" £8,000, 0Qp or £10,005,000, 't0' put on top of ordinary jSublio, I'eqtiirements, for that would niean that some, thing "would have to stop.'"