MAKURI WATER-POWER SCHEME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 84, 10 April 1911, Page 2

MAKURI WATER-POWER SCHEME.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT URGED. FBI TELEGSAPH— PEKSS ASSOCIATION.] PAHIATUA, 9th April. A deputation waited on the Hon R M'Kenzie, Minister of Public Works, at Pahiatua, on Saturday night, to urge the early development of the Makuri water-power scheme, which, they contended, would be inexpensive and would command a large market. Mi-. W. Wakeman, president of (.he Pahiatua Chamber of Commerce, stated that the late Mr. Seddon had promised that this would be one of the first schemes developed by the Government. Ihe people of the district would certainly have undertaken the work themselves before this had the Government not conserved the water-power. Mr. M'Kenzie, in his reply, said ifc was admitted that there was sufficient power to radiate 1 all round the district. Ihe proper position to take up was to develop the scheme so as to supply the requirements, not only of Pahiatua, Masterton, and Eketahuna. but aleo Woodville, and as far into Hawkes Bay in the direction of Dannevirke and also Palmerston North. He was satisfied' that sufficient power could be developed at Makuri for many years to come, and in, say, twenty or thirty years, when the requirements of population had doubled or trebled, there could be a supplementary scheme. In undertaking the development of water-power the Government had set its hand to a task which it intended to see through, but, of course, a large amount of money would be involved, and the Government was limited at present to £500,000, of which the development of La-ke Coleridge would probably absorb half. The proper course for the Chamber of Commerce, Borough Council, and County Council to follow was to confer with the' local bodies concerned, and get an idea as to the quantity of power they would be prepared to take at a guaranteed price. A further report would be obtained when the engineers recently appointed had viewed the place. !Ee waa satisfied from what he knew of the Makuri scheme that th-ere was good power- there, and that there was a reasonable population for power. Ths Makuri would not be a costly scheme, and a transmission line would not be very long, consequently the waetags would not be large.