MAKING ELECTRICITY AVAILABLE

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 16, 18 July 1918, Page 2

MAKING ELECTRICITY AVAILABLE

INCREASED PRODUCTION

An addresß dealing with; the,, importance of the Electric Power Boards Bill to agricultural and pastoral interests was read by Mr. A. W. Rodger (Southland) at yesterday's: sitting of the New Zealand Council, of Agriculture Conference.

Mr. Bodger remarked:—"There is a universal cry for increased production, and the necessity for that cry must be admitted by everyone who has given the slightest thought to the position that will exist when the war is ended. On what portion of the community of this Dominion will the greatest blirden of increased production /all? Undoubtedly upon the farmers and pastoralists; we cannot be called a manufacturing country, and increased production in New Zealand virtually means more foodstuffs nnd more ■wool. Is the country capable of producing_ more- than it has hitherto done? Potentially there is almost no limit to the productiveness of this' Dominion. What, then, is needful to bring about the' urgent increase? Three things at any rate are essential; (1) Closer settlement; (2) better methods of farming; (3) less dependence upon hired labour, or more inducement for hired labour to offer .itself. Very material increase hi production can no doubt be effected without closer, settlement, but only if the second and third essentials can be supplied. As to closer' 1 settlement, population was the true index, but the country population of New Zealand has remained . stationary.. The town and city population has materially increased since 1911, and the position is one that calls for immediate and careful consideration. The cause must lie in the fact that town life, with all its. cleanliness, its comforts, its conveniences, its: amusements, is a striking contrast to the drudgery", the mud, the discomfort, the lack Of convenience and social intercourse which falls to the kft of the dairy or back country farmer, and even of the squatter. "It is quite useless to talk about closer settlement until an endeavour is made to minimise this great and cogent dispar' ity. It must be made possible for the farmer to live and carry on' his business with something more akin to the ameni' ties available to the townsman,, and in scarcely less degree does that apply to the formers wife and family. "The Electric Power Boards Bill, laid upon the table of the House of Repre'sen' tativesby Sir Joseph Ward, is drafted with two objects in view. First; to make it possible for a board elected by the ratepayers to generate electric power and distribute it within any district not coming within the scope of any existing of contemplated Government scheme; arid, second; to purchase electric energy from the Government or other available.source and distribute it within a defined area. Such a measure will make it possible for farming; districts to have equal facilities with the centres so far as electric energy is concerned.'

"The Electric Power Boards Bill is the direct outcome of the desire to have hydro-electric power made available to every man, -woman, and child within the Dominion at the earliest T>ossib-le moment. In view of the importance of cheap power and light to the dweller in the country, and the fact that the fanner would individually become the largest consumer of power were it made available, it is suggested that the Electric Power Boards BilJ should meet with the unqualified approval o pcriculturists and pastoralists from one end of the Dominion to tho other."