HORAHORA POWER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17253, 1 September 1919, Page 6

HORAHORA POWER.

The visit of the Under-Secretary for Public Works and the chief electrical engineer to the Waikato encourages the hope that the Public Works Department will lose no time in releasing the surplus of Horahora power not required by the Waihi Gold Mining Company. Mr. Birks evidently anticipates an immediate and general demand for power, as he presumes the consumption of the available current within a much smaller area than it has generally been supposed the existing plant would supply. As a still wider field is awaiting power from Horahora the duties of the Department will not end with the distribution of the present surplus. By the installation of additional generating units, a considerable increase can be obtained in the amount of power, and by developments on the Waikato and Pokaiwhenua Rivers the supply can be still further augmented. Mr. Parry contemplated the possibility of obtaining 16,000 horse power from Horahora, of which he estimated 7000 would be available for the City of Auckland. As soon as the Department has determined the probable power consumption in the Waikato it should announce its full programme for the development of the latent energy at Horahora. No less than this is due to the Auckland City Council and to local bodies throughout the province which may be in doubt as to the influence of the Horahora installation on their plans. Since the Arapuni scheme will not be in operation for several years the Government will doubtless recognise the wisdom of developing Horahora to its full capacity to bridge the interval. As a commencement no time should be lost in ordering additional machinery. The experience of Christchurch with the Lake Coleridge plant suggests that more than a year must elapse under the most favourable circumstances before additional generating units ; can be installed at Horahora. The ! delay should not be aggravated by i the hesitation of the Department.