The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORMING. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13. 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3347, 13 October 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORMING. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13. 1911.

The time has arrived, wo think, when the Government Production of Elec- should indicate trie Power. how all municipal and private electric systems will be affected when the State hydro-electric works become an accomplished fact. It stands to reason that the State, on account of the huge works of this nature which it would establish, should be able to sujiply al requirements along the route of its transmission lines at a much cheapei rate than it would be possible for a municipality with works of much more limited capacity to charge. In connection with the development of electric power.—not of course necessarily by means of harnessing rivers, etc. it may be mentioned that one of the most interesting examples of economical working in this direction is furnished by the extensive power scheme developed in that portion of the north-east coast of England of which Newcastle-upon-Tyne is the industrial centre. Here, from one system of linked generating stations with a total capacity of nearly 150,000 h.p., power is supplied to heavy railways (including 37 miles of suburban lines), various tramway systems, ship yards, collieries, salt mines, blast furnaces, flour mills, paper mills, and rope factories. Light and power for domestic purposes are also obtained from the same source. The complete system has 760 miles of mains, and supplies 15,200 consumers spread over 1400 square miles. Now the position in New Zealand to-day is that the Government has intimated that after the Lake Coleridge scheme has been got under way, it has in mind to make a start with the Waikaremoana and other schemes. It so happens, however, that in many of the centres of population—including our own town—along past which the transmission wires from the projected State hydro-electric works would pass, electric power and light works have already been erected or are contemplated as a result of municipal or private enterprise. Of course, unless there lie a large demand for current it must prove a very unprofitable investment for the State to develop these huge possible sources of electric power to which we have just alluded. Should the State embark on these enterprises, as it proposes, what will happen will doubtless be that as in other countries where stupendous plants have been installed, the small works along the lines will have to suffer. As far as Gisborne, for instance, is concerned, the ratepayers will be compelled either to tolerate the higher prices which may be expected to be ruling in connection with their own system or abandon their own plant and accept power from the State. According to “Engineering,” most of the plants which were erected in the factory centre of the north-east coast of England when electric power first came into use have been abolished, and all new works are being supplied from the mains of the combined stations. “A process of concentration in the production of electric power has taken place which has,” it says, “involved the ‘scrapping’ of a number of the smaller stations and of the majority of the private installations belonging to various works.” What is more, the cost of producing power, we are told, has steadily fallen in proportion as the size of the station has grown. The essence of success is that the supply of power should be sufficiently cheap, and cheapness can be achieved only by having comprehensive systems. So far as we have been able to gather, most of the electric systems in New Zealand have cost a great deal more than was fever contemplated, and in view of the.comparatively small population which this country holds as yet. it is indeed open to grave doubt whether the State will be as successful in its venture as regards water power development as is reckoned in some quarters. These are matters which we propose to discuss on future occasions.

Production of Electrie Power.