WAIKAREMOANA—A BUGBEAR

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 52, 13 February 1918, Page 3

WAIKAREMOANA—A BUGBEAR

HAWKE’S BAY COUNTY COUNCIL’S BURDEN. ITO THI EDITOR.) Sir, —There is something, strong, forceful and rr-asormble in Mr. Nai Beamish’s letter headed National DeveloDinent. Lt is like beef essence to a tiring man and the chairman oi the. Hawke’s Bay Count) Council would do well li> assoemte with sanguine and pushful men like Air. Beamish at a time when so imieh depends on present day action in relation to to-morrow s happenings. The luiin who cannot aullcipati: and cannot see coming events in taee of a world upheaval will ilesene no sympathy wncii tlie avalanche approaches. It is coming a., sure as <ia.\ follows tin- night. Ttic responsibilities of every man now occupying any place in government lire all important, for the right use of power will determine in a large measure what, ihe future n to be. J have received from Invercargill papers eonneeletl with a great league of public bodies in Southland ami <)i,agv deal - ing with the utilisation of hydroelectric power for those extensive districts. The places are alive with activity.. The people realise (he euormoiis advantages to i‘>< derived' i rom hvtli o elect ric power such as is e.njovf d by ’!,<■ people of ('hristchurcli and ilisirivt f.om Lake Coleridge.

Here is what Mi’. L. Bilk-, iklsc.. Electrical Engine Public \\ orkDepai tinei.l. i m i-i chili cm nay.- n. the New Zealand Journal of Heience and Technology published in \\eltingtori in Jfttiuary with reference to Christchurch :~ll* the two years since a regular supply has been obtained from Laki* Uoieridge the demand within the city has gone uf> from about T(H> kilowats, i.e... less than ItJtKl power, to 22<ul kilowats. i.e., nearly 3000 h.p., and is still increasing rapidly. During the same period the number of consumers within the city has gone up from 1625 to 3577. ot venom 22 per cent. now pay less than 3 - per montli, and 33 per cept. pay less than 4,per month on the average. ‘■Electricity'’ in Christchurch is thus distinctly the ’ poor man s light. ’

I wuliiier wnal it eosi.s on the ;nt!iage to Napier Householders lor the present bieaus of ligating i>y candies, oil, gas and electriciiy , h oe can use a utuuiai means for tne gviieiation or beat and power anu iig.it, and can supply e» viy house and ta-evory m tne rowiis ami eoun<.iy piac.'.t alike in equally low caurges >. lia<. in bit: u.one of culnluon st-iise siionld hinder our so doing unless ii.- be tne ignorance-, me se.fisiiness, the deg-m-tiie-mungcr m.-ier-miiiatioii of taose who won t take ibe tiouble to see the enormous possibilities that await, tlie- exerc-se ox oar common st use anu t xpei u uce. Ft iiikaremoami over yoiiocr is tiie El Dorado ot tue Norm Island. Ils value cannot be estimated m terms oi golu, lor it means che.ipemiig our cost ot living and cost oi production so that- tiie people run ii-<.t suualred its against, expioita,atn ami happy m Um knowledge mat (Ins country cun s.ippiy _ne» pi owners by mius-

mg I.'.ivup ligat. iiiiii piiVivr. cir Jvaepa v'vtuu has saw L-onietiung abuiu borrowing'. Jami Hie people can still ami vm 135 .--o'>iv-, tiling, too. Are we io lie mix'. - auivitiai.l in the hands <.>i a ungie man or a score oi men wli™ v, e aie v. .lining something Lii.it is becoiiiiiig a necessity tor our advaucemt nt - i-vt Sir -I. Vvard and Hr. irw»c go over (be country bet ween Xapter <md Im.* East < ou.-t as I have bet 11 over it tor IE years ana they will know the s'.ipitiet'iess of the Guvermueui even 111 ttie matter of roads and railroads. Xor is tins a new thing with me 51 v frequent letters on iiehaii oi iiie tv avroa and Ea=t Coast .settlers hate apnea r ed tnanv ernes calling tor iieip. In the lute good-hearted Prime .Minister Sedaon irequent appeals were made, and now tnat ttieie is a chance tor exploitation 01'the richest wealth deposit iti the island for the common good, the cold dieiclic." i.s opened! Contrast Mr. Nm beamish A ■•■ tier with ilie r<marks of the chairman _ of the Hawke's Bay County Council, .Mr. Betunish finely says; "And never iorget that it is" you who are to carry; this country on your shoulders, and unless production is increased tin? burden v. ill .get you down ano smother you. And then he points to the, opportunity of the projected Waikaremoaria trip : "Your chance is coming soon when you will have a number of Ministers and members on the edge of Lake Waikaremoar.a. You can then once more point out to them the great benefit it will be to the Dominion to take the people into their confidence. give them the land, a railway amT hydro-electrical power. Contrast these words witn those of the chairman of the richest county in the Xortlt Island : I do not agree in going up there spending money, and it would cost £2OO or more —I do tmt think we should spend the ratepayers' money in this way.'’ The quotation is from this morning's “Herald.” Sir, I say that if the trip cost the 34 associated pub-

lie bodies constituting the East Coast. League five thousand pounds the benefit following such a visit to ths whole of the East Coast and to the North Island will repay a thousand times the cost. Now contrast the ideas and ideals of the two gentlemen quoted. One aims at the common good—at the benefit of his country ; the other thinks that sixpence taken out of the pocket of a ratepayer will be ill spent in the broadening of the minds of members of Parliament and Ministers of the Crown with a view to conferring benefits upon the community. One marvels why men place oljstacles in the way of progress. Yonder in the South Island, having realised the great advantages the people of Christchurch have over the people farther south, all the public bodies have joined hand in hand to push the question of hydro-electrical power before Parliament forthwith. The reason is clear. And as to ourselves. I feel satisfied that- if the chairman of the County 7 Council realised the amount of work that has been going on since the December meeting he would have been more discreet in his remarks. Mr Geo. Ormond, chairman of the AVairoa County 7 Council, Mr Mayo, Mayor of Wairoa, and Mr Sinclair, chairman of the Wairoa Harbour Board, have been hard at I work with arrangements for a month past. The former gentleman has travelled overland to Napier and a train from Wellington to Napier for preliminary work, and the result from our centre is a '■'cold douche” in this morning’s “Herald.” Fortunately beside it there is the manly, observant, suggestive and broadening letter of Mr Nat. Beamish. The work must go on. The Rubicon'has been jiassed, and the work must be pressed forward to .which the committee have set their hands. Every well-wisher should lie up and doing for the help we can render to the East Coast will be equally helpful to ourselves and I'ie whole island. Waikaremoana once ’ W aikaremoana twice' \\ aikaremoana every time I must be our cry jf we wish this East Coast and North Island generally to enjoy in tenfold meu-ure what the people of Christchuicl) now enjoy at almost nominal cost.—l am, etc., , , H. MILL. l abruaiy 12. UilS.