HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME FOR EAST COAST.

Gisborne Times, Volume L, Issue 5137, 1 April 1919, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME FOR EAST COAST.

PROPOSAL BY WAIROA

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT

NAPIER.

At a meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday a letter was received from the Wairoa County Council, inquiring whether in view of the improbability of the Government proceeding with the general scheme to utiliso Lake Waikaremoana .for electrical purposes, the Harbor Board was in favor of holding a conference of East Coast bodies at Napier at an early date to discuss the advisability of forming a district comprising the territory controlled by the East Coast local bodies to go in for a scheme under the Electric Power Boards Act, 1918 in order to supply electric current to the towns and districts on, the East Coast.

The chairman (Mr. F. J. Lysnar) said that a local scheme was under way now and they did not want to do anything to clash with it. Mr. Mouat moved that the Board should agree to the proposal. Mr. Lewis, in seconding the motion, said no harm could be done by bolding tbe conference. The loca.) scheme need not be endangered, and it was only right, to give the other parts of the East Coast all the assistance they could. Mr. Quirk said he did not think it wise to dabble in too many schemes at one time.

Mr Humphreys said be would support Mr. Mouat’s proposal. They should take a national and -not _ a parochial view of a matter like this. Mr. Preston said it seemed to him that Wairoa’s proposal arose- out of the decision to have a local scheme for Gisborne. If it was a Government scheme he would he prepared to support it. He would suggest that Mr. Mouat add to_ liis motion “without prejudicing this district.” Mr. Birrell favored a national scheme, but if they could not get that they should do nothing that would hurt the local scheme. Mr. Mouat’s motion was carried.