The North Otago Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1917 PERTINENT QUESTIONS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13981, 17 November 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1917 PERTINENT QUESTIONS.

,-.-A. correspondent' writes.to 113 (his > '■ jhorning in quest of further information in reference to the c'on'suiting engineer's report on the temporary generating plant which : was' offered to the Borough Council. In reply to the first two queries,; wo: have to .say I hat Mr Black jina[hVjjnii].reporfs. In 19.1.3,'' MY ' Black'iVa full report which was (discussed by the Borough Council \m December, stated that "the con- ' sumption of current in the third year of operation may reasonably be expected to amount to 525,000 units"; and further, in reply to a question, Mr Black said that "the figures represented about 20 per cent of-the possible output of the, plant," That is to say, the optimistic estimate of the consulting engineer indicated -that by the time. the third year of-"the installation is reached, only about one-fifth of the capacity of the generators will be needed to meet all demands. As another correspondent showed the other day, by working a temporary 125 kilowatt set for twelve hours daily, the full demand for energy, estimated by the consulting engineer, at the third year, could be met. In his special report on the temporary set, then under consideration by the-Council, Mr Black wrote, "Elcejriciiilly, the .difficulties arc not small ones. .. . Thus' the council, although purchasing a 250 kilowatt generator with its complementary transformers and switchgear, would be able to get only 125 .kilowatts output from it. ~',.. the output capacity would bo enough "to" cope with a normal lightmgvdernand for a few months and witlva day-power of moderate size..' After this .point bad been reached further connections would Irave to be greatly restricted or even refused."'There does appear •to-be Koimv contradiction in the expert advice.: Willi.regard to onr correspondent's third question we need only saythat the general body of the ratepayers are quite cognisant of all the circumstances. The present Mayor was always opposed to the electricity scheme, ' and lie displayed'consistent opposition when I the matter was originally''before fhe Council. We believe, however, that Mr Millignn will do his best to relieve the present impasse, and,- if possible, get• the scheme into'working.order at the earliest possible moment, To suggest, at this'juncture, an increase in. the Borough rates to meet interest and'sinking fund charges on an uncompleted, electricity scheme would be to open up, what might conceivably be a hornet's,, nest. The. Council, however, has to face cold facts, ahd.the present situation. Heavy charges must be borne by the ordinary revenueuntil the * electricity scheme "is in full working order.' >