CHEAP POWER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15924, 9 May 1912, Page 4

CHEAP POWER.

LAKE COLERIDGE SUPPLIES FOR THE CITY. THE QUESTION OF COST. The conferences between the Chief Government Engineer, Mr Evan Parry, and the city authorities regarding the supply of electrical'power from Lake Coleridgo are said to have been most satisfactory. The Mayor (Mr H. Holland) was asked yesterday whether any information could bo given of the result, of Mr Parry’s visit apart -from what might bo regarded as confidential communications.

" The Government,” ho said, “has met us in the most broad-minded and fair manner, and the citizens are to be congratulated on the negotiations that are proceeding. They have been quite amicable, and, I think, will bo entirely satisfactory t"o Christchurch.” “Has a price been quoted?” he was asked.

■ Me have got a quotation down to rock-bottom,” Mr Holland replied, and 1 do not think the Council , will hesitate for a moment to accept the contract, subject, of course, to a loan being raised for the reticulation of the city. Tho citi sens ought not to reject it, for if they do, the Government must take it up. They cannot have- power locked up close to tho city.” “ I had very high hopes of the ultimate success of this scheme,” he continued. “ and 1 aril quite satisfied with the proposals submitted. 'Vo, can expect tho electricity to be delivered*at the end of 1913. Mr Parry sees no reason to doubt that it will be finished in tho two years. The tunnel is going along, satisfactorily, in splendid stuff’, , mostly of clay and shingle, and they are working from lour points.” Asked as to the probable requirements of the city, the Mayor said that the supply offered by the Government was unlimited. The first installation would supply 10,000 horse-power, but this could be largely increased, and there was no cause for anxiety that the demand would exceed the supply. There need be no hesitation in asking the ratepayers for the loan. b “Yes,” he continued, “we should take steps soon to ascertain 'the city’s approximate requirements. I have an idea, although it has not been submitted to tile Council, in favour of employing canvassers as soon as wo have the scheme definitely before the Council. When we know bow many customers to expect, we can start wiring the streets where the largest orders come from. It is just a matter of ordinary business, and we should proceed on. business lines. My hope is that electricity will be cheap enough for every working man’s home. Tt will lighten the household labours enormously.” Questioned as to the cost of reticulation, Mr Holland said that the loan would he for from £75.000 to £125,000, which was a • very reasonable sum for such a. great public convenience. The power would be delivered by the Gov-, eminent, at two sub-stations, which would ha included in the cost of tho work. Comparing the electrical scheme with municipal gasworks, ho said that if tho citv could have got the gasworks at anything like tho price of the elee-tnc-il installation it would have jumped a.t, the chance, hub lie understood that the company wanted something like half a million to sell out. Electricity, however, would he infinitelv preferable to gas, and the people would be getting a more useful service at a quarter the cost. Already with tho metallic filament,_ electricity at 6d a unit, a comparatively high fate, was cheaper than gas at 5s 9d a thousand feet. He used both in his own home, and he knew by experience that electricity was cheaper. In any case, the new installation would result in a material reduction in tho.' price of gas, and tho whole community ■would ho benefited in that way. There were many other advantages possessed by olcctricity, tho Mayor remarked. That morning ho had received a deputation urging that the streets might be lighted on dark nights when the moon was obscured by clouds. The difficulty was that the Gas Company in its contract had a clause giv- j ing it the right to turn off the gas so many hours in the year, and it selected nights when tho moon was supposed to he shining. The consequence'was that frequently the sky clouded, and the company could not send out an army of lamplighters again. Yvitli electricity the case, was different. If the Council was saying it could switch out ' tho street lights during moon light periods, hut if f lie sky clouded they could lie switched on again from one central point.

Mr Holland was unable to disclose the price quoted for current. He said that the Electrical Committee would report on tho whole matter, he hoped, next Monday, although the committee might net bo ready by that time.