PUSHING ON

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1920, Page 4

PUSHING ON

WATER POWER WANTS

WAIKAKEMOANA TO STA2T

ALLOCATIONS FROM MANGAI-lAO.

- The Progress Laaguo deputation which met the Miuisvor lev Public Vvorks (Hon. J. G. Cobles) yesterdayarUrnoon, obtained from him, r.. rtatevnent regarding, the proposed allocation oi power from Mahgahso on r., population, basin, and also tho information thr,t r. commencement would bo made wi& a® WaikaroDioana scheir.e r.c B'O'jn a». ilic staff wore available to undertake the necessary engineering praliminarios. Tho de?utst:on comprised, in addition to representatives of the Central Fro; sress League, the following, members ot Parlianeui :—Mossrs. J. P. Lake, G. .Hitchell. V,'. H. Field. G. R. iiyke*:, X, A. Wright. ai;d Dr. A. K. Newman. There- were also pressut representatives of 'ocal bodies, chambers of commerce, farmers' unions, and freezing companies from Wellington, Wairarapa, Jianawatu, Hawlies . Bay.. 'j-aranato. W'anganui, and Poverty Boy. Apologies for absence were received from many others, including a number who were detained by the producers' conference. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke, 51.P.), introduced ths deputation. Speaking lor the city, ho said it was j most important thai they should bow how much cv.iTc-ni would be available for Wellington, .so-that they migiii make airaigenicirU; foi power in the future, f'taicnients had been made that vary little >)O'.ver would be available for Wellington, but ho hoped to receive an assurance from ths Minister 'that the city would receive the share to which, on a basis of population, it was entitled. The Minister : "Would you be satisfied with tli 9 population basis V.' The Mayor said the city and the district should receive the .allocation on this basis. They asked thai, every effort should be concentrated, on M:a:igahao, and if any surplus of labour or money were .-.vsilablea. start should be made I with Waikaremoana.

I.lv. G. .11. Luke, chairman of the Central Progress League, emphasised the need ; for measures which would assist in in- | creasing' production. , They believed | that the: Government would put into operation it policy of immigration of selected man, so ia to overcome the labour difficulty. From the point of view of overcoming fue fuel shortage done they hud seen trie value of hydro-electri-city in ChrUlclmi'ch. progress at maxgahao. ' Mr. \V. H. Field, M.P., said members of the party 'which, visited Mangahao ■ came- away completely satisfied with the progress thnt was being made. He understood that it would not hz very long before they had 330 men on the work, which .would be their full complement. ,He was satisfied from the keenness ,of the engineers that they would have the work done if the men r.nd money were provided, and the deputation asked the Minister to see that this was done.. Any surplus of men and money should be vised at WaiUaremoana. They "had been told that JUangahao would meet the demand.from . the Palmerston Worth end Wellington districts for tan years. If that 'were so a. question of apportionment would not arise, but if there wove not sufficient power then ho j did not know t-si.it the population basis j would be one which they could, approve. | In his district there were many dairyfarmers, all of. whom would require power for some purpose. If the power from Ifoigahao were not to be sufficient , then no time should be lost in investigating other sources, such as the Hutt : scheme and the rivers on the West Coast.

' Mr. G. Mitchell, M.P., secretary of the Progress League, said they had ;;:i r.swrance from experts that there would bo a saving of £3,000,uj0 annually if the power al present obtained from coal and oil was repinced b'V hydro-electric energy, in a, few years' tima that would pay the whole cost of rlavelopinejil. Then again there was the serious position, of coal and oil supplies to be considered. They could not possibly over-develop their power,'as industries would follow which could not now be started owing to the cost of. power from' oil and coal. ' He looked forward to the day when all their produce would be sent out in a manufactured state instead of having to be made np outside the country. Labour could be guaranteed to push on with tho work. The Minister : "Can you guarantee labour for WaikaremoanaV" Mr. Mitchell sflid he believed that cojild be done. It would be Naiive labour, and. -when the Natives wished to go shearing 'immigration would have supplied men to take their places. Mr., Stuart Wilson asked if the Jliuister were in favour of a board of business men being, set up to administer the scheme. The Minister said it was a policy matter, which v;uuld have, to be submitted f.o tiie Government. Other speakers were: Messrs. W. H. •Tacfe-ou (.Mayor of'Mastaiton), F. G-. ■ Cooper (chairman Hutt County Council), S.^Peun (Gisborne), T*. Skotrlund (TaraliaVi). and Kinross While (Hawkeis Bay). T.HK MINISTER'S POLICY. The Minister thanked tlio speakers for !.he congratiilntioiis they had'extended to him on.iiis appointment. He did not »slc thoni to form any opinion of him till they had the show Roiug. Ha hoped i-T.licy would lu:ve something to show in a j f«:'.£or,a!il« titri'. 1. . Jir. Lawrcsice Birks ! m:is head of the hydi'o-clectric branch of ! tji.o I'ublicy WorUs Department, and in

.-i-iu'se of tiu\c he would, have a sufficient .it;;!? of engineers and assistants. It was ii-jt en"\r" to Ret engineers 1 at present. Pining Mu> war men had to. be allowed away to do a job of more importance than anything iv Now Zealand, and <Jur--in;;: that time there ha>l liut'irally been ,"i certain amount cf uLa^iiatii.'ii. His job must now lie to set the wheels o[ industry moving. It wusi not easy, but the machine was bound to so. He had every confidence iv his engineers', and if they all worUo.i together the job would bo done. He agreed that hydro-elrclrio power was essential for New Zealand, especially- us the country wes co fas away from the world-centres, and it wi;r tlie policy oi the yovcrr.incnt to supply the power. There'were .difficulties of material and labour, b:it he believed- the outlook v:as better. They mifflit tackle the job co as to make a- show without oaring about litw it was done, hut that was not the riplit way. It was his business to see that their equipment was such as to Rive the best value for the money. They had Joan authorities for si;; and a-half millions, and he had the assurance that there would be no trouble about finance. AVAIKAREMOANA NEEDED. Dealing with the separate schemes, the. Minister snid that Mangahao would not supply the demand that it waa seated would be made, so that ifc was necessai'y to bring .Waikarevnonna iv withont delay. He had discussed the matter thoroughly with tbii" engineers, and as soon as the plans and specifications, roadlines, and'surveys could be carried out. by tile engineers preliminary to- putting the Waikaremoana, scheme'into operation. I hat would lie. dam*.- It had been sujrgestod tli.it they should start in September, but it Innl been pointed out to 3iim thai, they, had Maoris who. wnn'ld be iT'jdv In work' on the rond.«.; and. us n L,U:ai deiil had to bs done cuutr.-cts would

bo let as soon as the specifications c«uld bo prepared. Mr. Parry's roport provided for linking up the tlireu schemes, r.ctl tlu-y v/ishatt to hava them ail c'.evel(ip«cl, but they could not 1)2 iinished E::!uUla;:cGus-h r. It win? not yet <;uite r.Hf Bred whether Arapuni would ba workable, as tli3 foimdstions for the dam had not been thoroughly tested. ALLOCATION OF POWER. Mr. Luke had mentioned Wellington's nesds. The whole scheme was drawn up on ii. -population basis. ,If. they could suggest any better method, lei thani state it. lie quite understood tl:c- ;.:o;:it mads by liii.-. field., but could he saggsEt a i'airci" way of allocation tl:a)i population? The Wellington City proportion on this br.sis would be 9000 kilowatts of 12,000 horse power. It was possible Wellington would ba ready to use- yoivev bet'oi'o some other plsices, and hp took it thst there would be no übjection to' Wellington tshing the surplus fro:p. oihei 1 districts till thflse districts were rc:uiy for theii' full quota; but whsn they v.-ci-o ready it nu;st be nicda -avaikblc for them.

In reply io a. reprosoiitative from \"oodvilie, the Jlinister said he would have an. engineer sent to thai district to advise on power possibilities when one could be spared. He could not answer the question, as to IvJastei'ton's position, but lie would have the matter inquired into. Questions of material requirements, etc., v/eve being very cai'e'uJly "lone into. They T.vcre having a very complete stocktaking. He did not want ar,y middling along', though he did not suggest that In:cl ever been done i;i tho Public Works DepiU'triient. If 1 they cou'd tell him that ini'teriiil and machinery would come into the counti"/ on a. certai;) datg, tiie engi-riot-rs v.'oitlc! very soon say when ths work would be completed. But they .is business men would understand ihaf. aspect of the cu;e.stir,n.

7ke Minuter said. he. was p'.aased to hear what they had to say regarding the progress ;;t Mangahr.o. No doubt mere Improvements could be mf.cie, and iv.ore energy put into t!w work. The beet would bs done. ' In recly to Mr. Mitchell, tTle Minister supplied the following table showing the suggested allocations of JUsngi'.hso power on a population basis:—

It 'is necessary to explain that each sub-station server, a district much more extensive than that in its immediate neighbourhood.

Population. IT.P. AVellinatim City ....:.... 04.049 12.000 Hutt Valley ..." 20.755 3.000 Otaki „Sul>-staticm 8.331 1,2C0 Slinnnriii .Sub-station... 18-725. 2,GGO Jinnnythorpc Snb-stat'n 27.030 o.oCO Dann'ovirkc Sub-station 10,521 1..1C0 Total 169,532 24,000