ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17881, 8 September 1921, Page 6

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

AUCKUANDS REQUJREMEMTS.

POWER FOR INDUSTRIES.

SIJNISTER'S SUPPORT URGED The urgent need that exists, for an adequate supply of electricity fc* Auckland was brought under the notice, of the Hon. E. P. Lee by-Mr. J. A. C. Ailum at a social function tendered to the Minuter last evening by the Industrial Corporation.

Mr. Allum explained that manufacturers in the city were labouring under throe sets of disabilities—labour, ran'. material and power. A conservative estimate of the cost of the plants installed in connection with manufacturing concerns in the city and suburbs was £500,000. Assuming the capital charges, based upon 10 per cent, of ti»e •outlay, to be £50,000, it would be seen that manufacturers were working under great difficulties. The capital cost, however, woe not tiie greatest disability. During periods of coal shortage, manufacturers had had great difficulty in securing supplies with which to generate power for carrying on. The Auckland district, he said, was very poorly catered for in the matter of electricity, and it would be realised that this was altogether to the disadvantage of local industries. Adequate supplies of electricity would mean that manufacturing . could be carried on economically. The Minister's sympathy and support in the matter of developing bydroeiectrkity for Auckland was particularly desirable. Manufacturers wanted this power at a reasonable price. This was not a parochial matter, but one of national import. Unless power were made available at a price that manufacturers elsewhere could obtain it, local industries would not-suc-ceed. Dunedin and Christchurch were each favoured with supplies of power at very reasonable rates, certainly very much better from a manufacturers point of view tJ ; an the local rates. The oity was specially anxious to get hydro-elec-tricity for its industries, otherwise concerns which would be estab ished here would be lost to the community. There had been a certain amount of hesitancy on the part of manufacturers to start industries in Auckland. A certain business was started here some time ago and was now working under a cost of from £40,000 to £50,000 through having to instal a separate power-generat-ing plant. A similar industry was established in one of the Southern cities w»d all the pronve'ers had to do was to erect their machinery and connect it with the hydro-electric power available. "Only last we«k," said Mr. Allum, "I received a >ett«r from a firm to say that if they could not get a certain quantity of power in Auckland within a given time they mere going to establish "their business in Christchurch.'* The people of Auckland were endcavourinst to help themselves in this matter, as instanced by the Hydro • electric Power League's successful effort* in connection with the* Wornhora scheme

Referring to this matter at a later stage Mr. Le» said he was not provincial «n bis ideas regarding the develop, ment of the country. If h° saw that a railwav would benefit a district and the expend'tnre of public money on it was justified he supported it irrespective of location. Ho knew of no part of the Dominion where water power would be a better proposition for the people and for the country as a whole, tlian in this largely populated Auckland district. (Applause.) He trusted thit "verv effort would be made, not only in thi* district, but also throughnut New Zealand, to make use of the gr<"»t natural powor with which it was endowed. Lake Coleridge had provad a great success, yet it was only a wiod*cnm of the great source of power available not far from other industrial centres.

NORTH SHORE PROPOSAL.

QTTESTTON OF REPRESENTATION. The question of electricity supply was discussed by the Northoote and Takapuna Borough Councils last evening. The Northcote Council adopted the report of the Birkenhead-Northcote con ference with reference to electricity etc. It was also agreed to approve of tue Marine Boroughs Association acting as a provisional power board in connection with the preliminaries for the formation of the proposed Waitemata Electric Power Boa^d.

The Takapuna Council, dealing with the proposed power board, decided that representation on the proposed board ehouJd be one for every 5000, or part of 5000 of the population, or one for every £1.750,000 capital valuation, or part thereof, whichever representation was the greater. The Mayor, Mr. A. M. Gould, said that under present conditions Takapuna wouid have only one representative on the proposed board, and Devonport two. Die capital value of Takapuna was almost as much as that of Devonport, and, with it* increasing population, the former would soon have twj representatives on the board. ,