POWER BOARD SCHEME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 401, 19 May 1922, Page 5

POWER BOARD SCHEME.

PROGRESS REPORTED.

NO START THIS WINTER,

Ibe Manawatn-Oroua Electric Power Board s resident engineer, Mr W, A. W tilers, expects to be in a position to furnish the board at its next meeting with an estimate of the approximate amount of money required for its scheme of reticulation. A tremendous amount of detail work is at present going cm at the board’s offices at Palmerston North, A plan is being pro--1 sired, on which every road in the district is marked and numbered, together with its approximate length. The map already contains several hundreds of red dote, every one of which represents a homestead —oacli a potential consifliier of electricity. These details are absolutely necessary, seeing that before any particular section of the district is reticulated, its revenue-producing prospects will be considered by the board. THE FIRST STEP.

As was briefly indicated by Mr Waters at ino last, meeting of the board the first secrum which it will be advisable to lake in band lies between Palmerston North and I’eliding—this with a view to establishing a temporary solace for the supply of power nt case electricity is not immediately availaolc. By this means the board will, if doomed necessary, bo able to take power tvom the Palmerston North and Feilding power homes. The work of the general reticulation of the district would then be undertaken, and, as the engineer pointed our, it would bo advisable to give priority to those districts where it was obvious a good load is waiting. This whole question lias, ol course, yet to be decided by the board, along with the question of whether advances will bo made to consumers, requiring the same, to cover the cost of connecting up their premises with the board’s transmission lines, DATE OF COMMENCEMENT.

In the ordinary couv.-e of events some considerable lime must elapse before a start is made by the board wiib its construction work. In this connection it has to be borne in mind that, 1 while the work will ultimately provide employment for a considerable number of men, the loan poll has yet to be taken and the money raised. Even after these stages are past not a post hole can be dug until a license is obtained from the Government to proceed with he work. Belorc this license is granted—not that any hitch whatever is anticipated on this score—the plans for the reticulation must be approved by the Public Works Department, llie Post and Telegraph Department and the Railway Department. After the license is issued the material will have to be assembled and this will take time. In the absence, therefore, of any official statement on the point there are good grounds for assuming that the board will not be able to make a proper start with 'he construction work before October or November. There is therefore no possibility of the board being able to relieve the present unemployment situation. Meanwhile the board’s engineer and staff are pushing on with the preliminary work with all possible speed, and next month something definite will be known as to the probable cost of the scheme. In this connection, it is interesting lo note that the Thames Valley Board’s scheme, which is now an accomplished success, serves a district with a population approximately the same as the Munawatu-Orona district, 32,000, and the ratepayer.-, within this area have authorised the hoard to borrow £550,000 for the scheme.