NEW HYDRO WORKS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 283, 27 October 1934, Page 2

NEW HYDRO WORKS

CEREMONY AT WAITAKI. Per Pross Association. waitaki Hydro, Oct. 27. In brilliant sunshine, the Waitaki hydro-electric works were opened this afternoon. A special train conveyed the official party, headed by' Lord Bledisloe, lit. Hon. G. W. Eorbes, and Hon. J. Bitchener to the scene. The ceremony was attended by a great gathering representative of the whole of Canterbury. The special train arrived at the works at 1.30, and on arrival the guests attended an official luncheon, which was followed by a tour of inspection of the works.

The gathering was then addressed by Lord Bledisloe, and at the conclusion of liis speech His Excellency started one turbine and switched on the lights. Mr Bitchener then presented Lord Bledisloe with a silver-mounted miniature of the turbine.

Speeches followed from Messrs Forbes, Bitchener, M. J. Savage, and J. A. Nash, and on the completion of tlio ceremony afternoon tea was served, and the works thrown open for public inspection. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener) said that it gave him very great pleasure to be present, in the iirst place, because the work was located in his own electorate and on the Waitaki River, a stream which he had known and for which he had had the greatest respect for a large number of years. One could not have lived within a few miles of this great river without feeling that in its rushing streams there had been great sources of power running to waste. As Minister of Public Works he could not but feel proud that under his administration, and with the organisation and resources of the Public Works Department which it was his good fortune to control, the waters of the Waitaki were being utilised for the benefit of the people of Canterbury and Otago. The Government throughout had always been of opinion that these hydro-electric works were amongst the most important developmental works in the Dominion, and in consequence had found the ways and means to carry them on, although at times their resources have been sorely pressed to find the necessary finance. Though the large attendance might be taken as an indication of the country’s confidence in the Government and its appreciation of the work being done by it to provide supplies of electricity throughout the country, it was also, lie believed, a tribute to the skill and work of the department’s engineers and workmen who had brought this work to a successful conclusion. To these men he desired to express his appreciation and thanks for the way they had stuck to their job despite many difficulties, and to congratulate them on the successful completion of their work. The work was essentially one for co-operation and team work, and all from the highest official to the humblest workman had played their part. The Minister voiced his thanks to all the executive officers connected with the work, and the Y.M.C.A. for providing facilities for the men. Mr M. J. Savage, Leader of the Opposition, said the ceremony marked another milestone in the history of man’s mastery over the forces of Nature in this Dominion. It remained to be seen whether or not man would maintain that mastery and make available to the rank and file of the people the benefits of the machine and science or whether these modern processes were to continue to multiply' production and at the same time destroy the market in which products of industry should be sold. They needed more than stored up electrical energy'; they' needed some plan by which that wonderful servant of mankind might be harnessed to modern machinery for the purpose of producing the essentials which constituted a high standard of living for the people. If they failed in making plans which would ensure that the benefits of these modern processes would find their way to the homes of the people, all the results of the tireless efforts of the scientist and the inventor would have missed their mark. What was accomplished in the air by a great British airman and his colleague during recent days had been to a large extent carried out in industry, and it seemed as if those workmen, including farmers, whose labour was responsible for that wonderful advance in production were worse off to-day than they were before that advance was made.

Mr Savage hoped this vast store of energy which had been officially opened and which had been made possible by workmen and engineers would be the forerunner of still greater things, and that a grateful country would see to it that the men whose labour had made it possible would be found something better in the future than a relief job in reutrn for their services. POLICY JUSTIFIED.

Mr J. A. Nash, president of the Power Boards and Supply Authorities Association, said he looked forward to the day when both islands would be completely reticulated. The primary need was capital, and the State had been justified in raising loans abroad for hydro-electric development. The Dominion’s system had been well planned and the engineers were to be cofigratulated on their fine works. “Our main hope is to supply cheap power for town and country alike, but the cost of reticulation, especially in scattered areas, has been very heavy. Many complaints have been made, but we should not be discouraged. The like the city man, will come into his own, and we must not lose sight of the original aims of establishing a national system.” Continuing, Mr Nash said the time would come when electricity would receive widespread application to agriculture, with a resulting decrease in the drudgery of the farm and an increase in efficiency. Electricity had definitely ushered in a new age in economic and social development. With its full utilisation there would be greater scope for enterprise; more capital would be invested in primary and secondary industrial activities, and new avenues of employment would be opened up. The potentialities of New Zealand’s hydro-electricity system could not be exaggerated.

ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SECURED. Pe Press Association. WELLINGTON, Oct. 27. The following statement relative to the opening of the Waitaki hydroelectric works was made to-day by Rt. Hon. J. 0. Coates, who was unable to attend the ceremony : “It is pleasing to see that successive Governments and successive Ministers have confirmed the policy of the development of the Dominion’s wonderful resources in water power on broad national lines and in conformity with a definite scheme. I think it' is generally agreed among those who are conversant with the power supply problem that New Zealand has tackled the problem in the correct way and that the Government has been well advised by technical experts in launching and carrying through the various developments that have been completed,” Mr Coates said. “The setting up of the various power boards

throughout the Dominion has done a great deal to bring the development of electricity to the present high stage. It has given to the people generally through the local authority in the district a direct interest in this great business, and there is no question-that the energy and enthusiasm of these local power boards have enabled lines to be pushed out into areas that would have been difficult if the work had been attempted by one organisation alone. “It may be that in one or two cases these local controlling authorities have been undul.v optimistic and may in their enthusiasm have gone a little further than later experience would have dictated as being wise. Considering the size and complexity of the task that has been undertaken, however, I think we can safely say that not many mistakes have been made and that the mistakes are more than counter-balanced by the many advantages that have accrued from the policy that lias been adopted. One of the most pleasing features of the development generally has been the co operation between town and country,” the Minister added