ELECTRICAL POWER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1749, 13 September 1905, Page 73

ELECTRICAL POWER.

APPLIC ATION TO INDUSTRY. GOVERNMENT VOTE OF C 50.000. Mr J. Stevens, ex M.H.R. for Manawatu, introduced a deputation to the Premier on Thursday, urging that stops should be taken to utilise the Otaru, •Mangahao, and Tokamaru streams for the purpose of generating electricity for electric lighting and productive works in the surrounding districts.

Mr Stevens said that the volume of these streams originated high up in the mountains at the back of the Shannon district, and that dams could easily he const riveted, giving enormous power, more than sufficient for machinery and electric lighting for Foxton and Shannon and the adjacent districts. 'I hey had at present about Foxton and Shannon. some thirty flax mills at work, each of which requirt'd an expenditure ot some ,£.">oo a year for fuel, whereas they could lie driven by electricity at a co.-t of at, most one-half of that amount. There was about twelve hor-e-power in each mill, and there wa- every prob-

ability of the number of mills being doubled in the near future. Owing to intense competition, it was necessary that every possible saving in production should be effected, and lie. therefore, urged that the Government should in the near future send an expert officer to make a preliminary survey of the waters referred to, with the view of ascertaining the cost of damming water sufficient for the purpose of getting the necessary power for lighting and production. There was no doubt at all about the permanency of the streams. There was a flax-bleaching process now under investigation, which was proving a. very great success. It would be greatly assisted by electrical power. The value of the output of the flax industry was about three-quarters of a million, an amount in excess of the whole dairying industry of Now South Wales.

The Premier, in reply, said lie was very much interested in the industry. Some £”>0,000 would he set apart for promoting electrical energy, and a separate amount would be assigned for each provincial district where industries were carried on. and where lighting was required. He would submit what had been placed before him to the Minister for Public Works, and would strongly urge him to send an export to report upon the streams mentioned. He admitted that at no time in the history of the flax industry was more required to be done in the way of lessening the cost of production, seeing that the price was so low. He was satisfied that if it could be produced at a less cost than at present, there would be a margin of profit. The cost of electrical energy was from Co to £7 per horse-power, and consequently if electricity was introduced in place of fuel, there would he a saving in each mill of about £4OO on the present* output, which would he a bigprofit on (he capital invested. The matter was one of great importance to all parts of the colony, and especially so where the Hnx industry was carried oil.