PROMISING MARKET

Evening Star, Issue 19775, 27 January 1928, Page 2

PROMISING MARKET

ELECTRICAL GOODS TRADE ENGLISH EYES ON NEW ZEALAND One of Urn most promising markets for electrical goods at the present time is New Zealand, where exceptional water-power resources are being harnessed for electrical development (states the ‘Electrician’). Whilst the population is only about one and a quarter millions, the prosperity or the people is undeniable, and the foreign trade per head is much greater than in Canada, Australia, or South -Africa. During 1926 the hydro-electric power •available in tho capital city of Wellington was increased by 33,000 h.p.,'following tho completion of the Mangahao ’’Supply. Other Government stations are at Waikaremoana and Ln,ke Coleridge, and the Arnpuni station is expected to be ready in 1928. Tho chief difficulties have been in connection with transmission, for the population per square mile is exceedingly small, and, on the average, only one-fortieth of that in tho United Kingdom. The Government Public Works Department ate primarily responsible for the main lines deI velopmont. They have planned for the North Island to provide three main

stations, interlinked by 110.000 V transmission lines. In tbe South Island energy is obtained from the Government station at Lake Coleridge, and transmitted at 66,000 V, which will be raised later. In this way the whole of the populated parts of the islands will, with the aid of additional private stations, or those controlled by local authorities, be covered with a network of transmission lines, and it may then be expected that the great demand from this country for generating plant, cables, etc., will be extended to include the smaller electrical goods and household appliances, which are the certain requirement of any district supplied with electrical energy at a reasonable cost. It is useless to deny, however, that British manuacturers may anticipate brisk competition, and from former experience we may safely assume that New Zealand will buy the best at the cheapest price, preferably, but by no means exclusively, from Britain.