PUNAKAIKI NEED OF ELECTRICITY

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1948, Page 2

PUNAKAIKI NEED OF ELECTRICITY

The recent announcement that a co-operative lime works could be established in the Punakaiki-Barrytown area if electric power were available, was the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Grey Electric Power Beard last evening. The settlers proposing to establish the works had appealed to the Board for the extension of the line, which would involve about eight extra miles of wiring. . The engineer, Mr S. Trotter,, said that the proposal to have power installed in the area had been brought up three miles, then the purpose being foT a sawmill. This proposal had later turned out to be nothing. No concrete proposals had been, put forward to the Board. Even though prices would he- yery high for the line, continued the engineer,' the settiers concerned had been asked to put proposals forward and then would have been seen what, capital would have been required. However, nothing had come of the request, and he did not think that the Board would gel. anywhere with lhe settlers.

Mr W. E. Pring supported the settlers, and said that all possible should be done to help them if they wore willing to help themselves.

• Replying to a question by Mr W. Clayton, Air Trotter said that there would be about eight miles involvpd in the construction of the line, and that each settler would probably have to guarantee about. £GO to make the w'ork feasible. It would cost the Board thousands of pounds. Mr A. L. McKay suggested that the Board should talk the matter over with the settlers and delve into the history of the proposals. It would do 7)0 harm, lie suggested, for the Board to have a straight discussion with the setilers and see what ideas they had on the matter. Even so it. may not iiave been possible to do it for a number of years.

“We should see them”, said Mr Clayton. “They seem to be trying to do their part”. Mr Trotter told the Board that the Minister had turned down the proposal even if a subsidy were available from the Rural Reticulation Board. However, if there u 7 as a lime works proposal, he might alter this decision. That all the Board members should see the settlers and get concrete proposals, was stated by Mr Clayton. The engineer informed that when he had seen them about a sawmill which had been mentioned there was no concrete proposal. On the motion of Messrs McKay and J. Ryan, the settlers are to be invited to talk the matter over with the Board at the next meeting on Maj 7 21.