HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24555, 10 April 1943, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

LAKE WAIKAREMOANA FURTHER DEVELOPMENT (0.C.) GISBORNE, Friday Preparatory work is now in progress for the further development of the Waikaremoana hydro-electric scheme. As a result of this new phase of a comprehensive plan, power from Waikaremoana will be double the present output of the existing plant, which is not yet working to its planned maximum, and will represent an increa.se of 40 per cent on its ultimate capacity. The work now proceeding is on what is known as the upper development, scheme, which was- suspended some years ago as the project of tunnelling under the lake itself was considered too dangerous. The plan provides for boring a tunnel 60 feet below the lake level through the narrow ridge which forms a lip of the lake near the outlet. This tunnel will lead water to a surge chamber to be formed about 1600 feet above sea-level and 700 feet above the Tuai generating station, where a new power station will be located. After passing through this power-house the water will be diverted into Lake Kaitawa and will be used again for generating power, first at the Tuai station and then at the newly-completed station at Pirapaua. The Pirapaua power-house has now been completed and one generating unit is in operation, while a second one is in process of assembly and should be in working order within a few months. POLITICAL PARTY'S NAME USE OF TERM "SOLDIER" (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday Objection to the use of the term "soldier" in the name of Mr. J. A. Lee's political party was made in a resolution passed at a meeting of the Te Awamutu Returned Services' Association. The meeting also decided to object to any other party or political organisation acting in a similar manner without the authority of either or both of the soldiers' organisations now in existence, the New Zealand R.S.A. and the Second N.Z.E.F. Association. "Any political organisation claiming to represent returned servicemen, without the full backing of either or both of our organisations, will bo to the detriment of returned servicemen's and servicewomen's interests," stated the resolution. U-BOAT'S BOOTY NEW ZEALAND CHEESE (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday A German newspaper picked up by a New Zealand soldier in the desert in the Middle East, and sent by' him to his uncle, Mr. J. .1. Baillic, manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company's milk-powder factory at Te Awamutu, contains a photograph showing members of a U-boat crew helping themselves to the contents of a crate of New Zealand cheese. The crate cover bears the New Zealand fern-leaf brand, while the figures and other markings identify the cheese as having been manufactured by the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company at its emergency cheese factory at Otorohanga last season. The letter-press accompanying tho photograph has been translated as follows: —"Welcome booty in the Atlantic. After the sinking of a steamer, a U-boat found floating on the water thousands of boxes. One was lifted on board and opened. It contained a wonderful full-cream cheese of American origin, and the crew got, morning, mid-day and evening, on top of all possible dishes, cheese as an extra." DRAINAGE OF LAND (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday The decision of the manpower authorities that the drainage of land could not be declared an essential industry gave rise to much adverse criticism at a meeting of the Taupiri Drainage Board yesterday. It was stated by the chairman, Mr. R. G. Young, that large areas would soon go out of production if the drains were not maintained, and the board decided to ask the members of Parliament. in the district to take up the matter with the authorities and try and persuade them to take a more practical vieWi