HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5534, 16 July 1920, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN EARNEST.

SPECIAL BRANCH OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ESTABLISHED.

MINISTER SAYS IMPORTANT CHANGES TAKING PLACE.

! WELLINGTON. July 15. ! An important statement regarding hydro-electric development was made bv the Minister for Public Works ; (Hon. J. G. Coates) in reply to a ! deputation of Canterbury members. Mr. Coates said that he had decided in favor of the establishment of a branc’n cf the Public Works Department for hydro-electric development, and he had recommended this change to the Government. This branch would devote itself solely to the construction work or hydro-eletrlc schemes, the head works, tunnels, dams and so forth. The generation and engineering parts of the schemes would he in the hands of another branch, containing electrical and mechanical engineers. “1 admit at once that the organisation is far from complete,” said the Minister. “It is not anything like perfect, but I think we have men in tlie Public Works Department and in the hydro-electric branch who, if given support and encouragement, will cover themselves with credit and give satisfaction to the country, lie all get irritated at the delays and the time it takes public departments to get moving. We are trying to remove these difficulties and to bring about, first tlie production of niacliinerv that is going to do the job.” He added that a Minister could not secure satisfactory work unless he had his staff behind him ready to swing into line with his way of doing things. He felt- that the war period, with its stagnation of normal activities. had left its effect upon engineers' as well as upon everybody else. Tlie engineers were trving now to adjust themselves to the new conditions. and he could state that important changes were taking place in the Public Works Department. He could not state the details. He was endeavoring to get the Department into a position to tackle the job in the wav he wanted it tackled. These things could not be arranged in a moment, and lie felt that it was much better to take the men along with him than to drive them. “I want to assure the engineers and the staffs as a whole that I am with them as long as we get a- move on ” said the Minister. “We make mistakes, but it is better to make mistakes than to stand still. Ido not anticipate that mistakes will be made.” He proposed that the sale of oinl'ont and so forth, after the construction work was complete, should be handled bv business men.. Mr. Coates added that he was trying to set out objectives which the Department could gain in periods of one year, two years, and so on. He wanted to lav down a scheme of work for the various periods with attention given to the simply of materials and labor and completion of contracts and ' so forth. Contracts were apt to he-de-layed under the present conditions. A'definite working arrangement, m which the plans of the construction branch .-could he based, would assist progress. -He could assure the deputation T -D, the members of the Goveminent were in earnest about liydioelectric development. They had placed it in rhe forefront of their policy. —Special correspondent.