POWER SUPPLY FAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17935, 1 December 1921, Page 6

POWER SUPPLY FAILS.

■♦ —- PLIGHT OF CHRISTCHURCH. ONLY HALF CAPACITY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHBISTCHUSCH. Wednesday. Regarding' the breakdown of the new generator at Lake Coleridge powerhouse, Mr. Hitchcock, general manager. of the city electricity department, made the following statement:—The position calls for full realisation by the public of its seriousness. The trouble is quite unprecedented! and has resulted in reducing the capacity of the plant to half of that which was confidently anticipated a few weeks ago. Replacements cannot be made for at least three or four months, and, while it is fortunate that these happen to be summer months, it is only by the cooperation of tho whole community with the supply authorities that serious disorganisation can be averted. The city council is maintaining its steam plant and sharing the. load. Before being able to Btate specifically how it, is proposed to control the load to the best advantage to all consumers, it may be necessary to go carefully into the whole question of the relative' demands of the different industries, but it must be obvious to everyone that all domestic consumers must economise rigidly during the day from 7.45 a.m. to 6.15 p.m. By shifting everything possible to the night load, by getting the tramways to take their share, and by taking all we can with our own steam plant,' it may be possible to meet the city's requirements with the remaining plant without serious disorganisation.