SHARING MANGAHAO

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 148, 17 June 1920, Page 10

SHARING MANGAHAO

"WHERE D 0 WE COME IN ? WAIRARAPA AND THE MINISTER. An influential deputation fully representative of the Wairarapa Hydro-Elec-tric Power Board interviewed the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) yesterday, and asked for an assurance that the Wairarapa should get a share of the power from hydro-electric installations at Maaigahao. On behalf of the Wairarapa, Mr. A. D. M'Leod, M.P., who, with Mr. G. K. Sykes, M.P., accompanied the deputation, said that the published figures appeared to show that the district was not going to get any power at all. Mr. Moore, chairman of the Wairarapa Power Board,'said they had a local scheme, but if trie beard saw a reasonable chance of ■getting the same amount of power from the Government installations at Manga hao and Waikaremuan'a within three years 1 they would drop the local scheme. The Minister said he die!. not think it ■would be wise for him to give a definite estimate of the time required to completrf the works. It all depended on money and materials. If they could get them they could complete the scheme within three or four years. Mr. Coates added that allocations ot power at present were provisional. If the full amount of power to be developed at Mangahao was available at present, it could not be used. The allocations would exceed immediate requirements, and, that being so, the engineers had a margin on which to work. The figures that, he had quoted to an earlier deputation had not been complete, and.he could supplement, them now by quoting the following allocations, based upon population, for tti2 Wellington, Manawatu, and Wairarapa districts :— Popula- Horsetion. power, j Wellington City 8-1,049 12,000 Hutt Valley./ 20,756 2,100 Otaki sub-station 8,331 900 Shannon sub-station ... 18,725 2,000 Bunnythorpe . sub-sta--tion ....: 27,080 2,800 Dannevirke sub-station 10,591 1,100 Eketahuna , 8,247 900 Masterton, 21,028 2,200 ,198,807 24,000 The engineers, added Mr. 'Coates, had no.doubt at all that when the Manga - | hao scheme was completed they would ba able to supply all the oower that •was needed immediately, and cary on until the Waikaremoana scheme came into operation. It had not been intended to leave out any part of the Wairarapa district, but he had not besn able to give the complete figures to the first deputation. Mi. Coates added that members of Parliament and others interested in the scheme had visited Mangahao lately, and he had been glad to learn that they believed the work was being carried on satisfactorily. Anything that the Public Works Department could do to hasten hydro-electric development would be done. The preparation of estimates, the collection of material, and so forth, were matters of daily routine, s.nd the importance of the schemes was not being overlooked for a moment by the Department or the Government.