HORAHORA POWER SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 6

HORAHORA POWER SCHEME.

QUESTION OF CONTROL. CAMBRIDGE BOARD'S VIEWS. [BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT. J CAMBRIDGE. Saturday The monthly meeting of the Cambridge Electric Power Board was held last evening, Mr. Mervyn Wells presiding. The chairman brought forward a matter in connection with a recent letter published in the local paper by the Minister for Public Works, replying to criticism of the Government's control of the Horahora hydro-electrical scheme. Mr. Wells paid a tribute to the ability of the Hon. J. G. Coates for his administration of the department. The board, he said, was grateful for the Minister's helping hand. The speaker maintained that the Horahora power was the birthright of the South Auckland district and should be controlled by the four power boards concerned. The Horahora supply was now a State undertaking, and while it remained so the management would be more costly than if controlled by the boards. In connection with the Minister's query as to why the power boards sought Horahora power when they stated that they could get cheaper power by other means, the chairman remarked that they hoped the Government charges would be much cheaper still and that there would be a substantial reduction in the near future. He added that several other points in the Minister's reply would be dealt with by Mr. H. Roche at next meeting.