TROUBLE OVER POWER

Evening Star, Issue 18714, 16 August 1924, Page 4

TROUBLE OVER POWER

CHRISTCHURCH USERS’ ADVANTAGE. MINISTER STANDS FIRM. [From Odr Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 15. Tho Canterbury members managed to monopolise the first few hours of the discussion on the Estimates to-day, their topic being the terms of supplying electric power to tho city, and the demand of tho City Council to have authority to proceed if necessary with its independent scheme of hydro-electric development at Waimakariri. An additional complication was that tho country members of the province had a grievance against the city for making profits in distributing to county councils. They were also afraid that the development of an independent source would leave the country district loaded with the remaining debt on Coleridge. The Hon. J. G. Coates, 'Minister of Works, had to defend himself from a charge .that he had neglected to honor his promise to supply Christchurch with power at the same rate a-s the estimated cost from Waimakariri. Ho declared that Christchurch was getting power under the new agreement at a far better price than any other city, and the reason was that Christchurch had the right to develop power on its own account. It placed them in a different position from Auckland or Wellington. They had tho right by Act of Parliament to develop power themselves—a moral, right which the Government could not ignore. Tho Minister’s statement was discussed from all angles by Canterbury members, who served up much ancient history. It came quite as a surprise, after their torrent of hydro-electric eloquence, to hear Air M.'Tvay {Hawke’s, Bay) talk of daily farmers’ troubles with their cows.

“He has short-circuited us,” said a Canterbury debater. The discussion was revived in the evening by tho Canterbury members, who wore so insistent on the local topic that other members now became critical.

Mr Leo (Auckland East) urged the Minister to remain firm, and not let the Canterbury tail “wag the dog.” They were asking for special rates for Christchurch, but ho did not notice any demand for differential railway rates so that the North Island could get the advantage of the greater profits earned on the railways in that island. The people of Auckland had been compelled by the Government to practically underwrite the Arapuni scheme with a guarantee to take a certain amount of power. Tiro Minister had remarked that he stood alone, but there was a considerable majority in the House which would stick to the Minister in bis desire to protect the interests of the whole dominion.

“I am pleased with the Minister’s speech; he has sat on the Canterbury members in a proper way," declared Mr Edie (Bruce) amid approving laughter. The member added that Mr Coates had dealt with the matter in a straightforward way. Christchurch was lucky to have its electricity supplied by the Government. When they went further south, where the Scotsmen lived, they found that the people provided their own schemes. Dunedin had done so, and there was a deputation that day to the Government asking that £50,000 compensation be paid because they wished to build a reservoir. The Southland people had gone in for a great scheme on their own account. Personally, ho thought the Government should have developed Lake Hawea, where there was sufficient power for the whole of Otago. “But all complaints come from north of oama.ru,” he concluded.