HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1712, 13 January 1920, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

SUGGESTED COMBINATION OF RURAL AND URBAN AREAS. KAIRANCA COUNTY COUNCIL APPROACHED. In pursuance of the Palmerston North Sorough Council's scheme U> induce surounding council', to combine with the Borugh for the reticulation of the electrical uh'ent. from Mangahao, Councillor E. 11. 'rabb, accompanied by Councillor M. A Jliott, aitended a meeting of the Kairanga 'ounty Council lodayand propounded the iorough's schema.-' Councillor Crabb is the hah-tinm of the Vigilance Committee of he Chamber of Commerce, which was intituled for the purpose of keeping business •eople and local bodies in touch with the irogress at Mangahao. Recently Mr Stark, loctrical engineer to the Christchureh City 'Ouncil, was in Palmerston North and after nvest.iga.tion unhesitatingly expressed hi.s ipproval of the combination of the rural 'lid urban districts. Cr. Crabb proposed he establishment of H joint committee and poke of the economical benefits that would esult from a combination. The points of idvantago in the combination stressed by ..'r. Eliott were:

(1) Reduction in cost to each through tin >eak load being ai different periods durini he 2-1 hours.

(2) Under similar conditions of supply, tin price would be uniform within anil with nit the llorough.

(3) Purcliase of material would be cheap ened.

(4) Staff and overhead expenses would bo much cheaper. "Charge for power supplied is computed on the highesl point touched in the 2s boms, i.e.. the ' peak* load,'" said Councillor Eliott. "Therefore the endeavour liould be to avoid a high peak load with a low average consumption. The constant aim should be a high average and a ]ow ' peak load.' the ideal condition being similar consumption t'liouciioiii the 2-1 hours. This is. o! course, impossible, but 'if you can't be good, be as good as you can/ This can only'be accomplished by having as hug.' and as wile a diversity of_ the'class of con suiacrs as pos?ible, and this is gainer! by n combination of town and country industries. The consumers who could use power between say 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. would be taking it at a time when the bull; of the con sinners would not, and therefore should be charged a much lower rate, li practically means that the power is going t< waste between those "hours, and ecu a very low rate shows a profit. "The experience of neighbouring countips and boroughs in the City of Christ church shows that by. joining with that citj thoy are obtaining their power at. a lowei vate. a- well as saving a considerable anuual' cost in overhead pxponscs, etc. "The local bodies referred to are, Wat nlaiii County. Heathcotc County. Woolsion Spreyh.n and Riccarton boroughs." In a discussion which followed councillor expressed the opinion that more inform a lion wa> necessary before the Council couh decide on a definite course of action; alsi that the matter would not suffer pro craslination. Accordingly a committee wa set up consisting of. the chairman (Mr J .Linklat"r) and Ors. P. .T. Small _ and M Moody to join the joint committee pre posed, to gather information regarding til suggestion ~a.jid to report the result of thei investigations to the Council.