MORE EXPANSION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 77, 27 September 1941, Page 11

MORE EXPANSION

USE OF ELECTRICITY

BACKBLOCKS SETTLERS

A rapid extension, of the hydroelectric development policy to enable electricity to be provided for the backcountry settlers was urged by Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, when speaking on the Public Works Statement.

Mr. Poison said that the Hydro-elec-tric Department was a satisfactory Department of State, the expansion of whose activities was justified even in wartime, whenever the equipment was available. His anxiety was to see the Department expand its ramifications, into the back country. There were great areas of back country where the difficulties of the settlers were substantial and where the boon of the use of electricity would be enormously valuable and would also be of great assistance in tempting people into the back country. In some of these districts, although the settlers did not have the use of electricity, the main line passed overhead.

Mr. Poison said he knew that most people would prefer to see money spent in that direction than in erecting huge State buildings all over the country. If the Government continued its policy, he expected the day would come when they would all be State employees. Instead of these palaces which they saw springing up, he suggested an increase in hydro-electric activities to give the backblocks settlers some of the amenities enjoyed in the cities.

The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Armstrong): They are very often better supplied in the backblocks than anywhere lese. Ninety-four per-cent, of the population is supplied.

Another 6 per cent, in the backblocks was getting no electricity supply, continued Mr. Poison, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the population of those areas.