ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 10

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

STEAM OR WATER-POWER.

TESTING RELATIVE COSTS.

POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. [lllT TELEGtvATH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. A brief reference to tho Arapuni trouble was made by the Hon. W. B. Tavcrner, Minister of Public Works, when opening the conference of power boards yesterday. As tho conference was probably aware, said the Minister, the services of a consulting engineer from abroad had been engaged, and in the meantime the. Government was doing everything possible to make tho way easy for him, so that he could complete his investigations with as little delay as possible. The Minister said lie was trying to finalise the purchase in London of equipment to enable a standby plant to be put into operation at the earliest date. If it was possible as a result of expert advico economically to rehabilitate Arapuni and generate power to the original capacity, the position would bo very satisfactory. If, on the other hand, it was found that such a course was not possible, it might bo necessary to consider whether the tirno had not arrived to put a period to further hydro-electric development and to investigate tho possibilities of generation by modern steam equipment. In any case, it would be an excellent opportunity to test the relative cost of generation by water power and steam.