ELECTRICITY FOR CHRISTCHURCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15210, 22 January 1910, Page 10

ELECTRICITY FOR CHRISTCHURCH.

RIVAL SCHEMES. REMARKS BY MR T. E. TAYLOR. The question of providing am ample supply of electrical energy for lighting and power in Christchurch was discussed at some length by Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P., at a meeting of the St Albans Burgesses’ Association last evening. Mr Taylor said that there was at present an overlapping in the development of electrical energy in the city. When the municipal destructor was established provision was made for the utilisation of the power obtained by the destruction of rubbish for the generation of electricity, but the City Council was now spending money in building up a plant for the production of much more electricity than could be obtained from tlio burning of rubbish only. At the same time the Tramway Board had a plant that would admit of sufficient expansion to supply power and lightring for the city, and its feeder poles could bo utilised for the distribution of energy. At present the Tramway Board had only a small reserve of power, but there was no reason why an arrangement should not be in ado for the extension of the plant, thus obviating the necessity of utilising water power as the City Council proposed. Referring to the Lake Coleridge scheme, Mr Taylor, condemned the suggestion of tlio Prime Minister tliat the State should utilise the natural resources of the province for the benefit of the whole of thn dominion. The people of Christchurch, ho said, had every right to the benefit of such , natural provisions, and the Government would find it rather difficult to secure the special advantages of the province. Rv monopolising the water ppwer of. which the Citv Council had proposed to "take advantage tho Government would create a taxing machine that, would handicap tho manufacturing industries of Christchurch more than the Lyttelton tunnel did. If tho Government intended to uso that power for the railways and tho Addington Workshops, there was nothing to deprive the Council .of utilising the Clarenco River or the YVaimakariri River.