WATER-POWER DEVELOPMENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 6

WATER-POWER DEVELOPMENT

The arrival of the electrical engineer engaged by the Government to advise it upon the inauguration of the hydroelectrical scheme authorised by Act passed last session will remind the community that important undertak- j ings are shortly to be embarked upon.' These have reference to the development of electrical energy at Lake Oole-| ridge, in North Canterbury, Akatarawa, in the Wellington district, Lake Waikaremoaua, tho BuHer river, and other places where it is estimated that abundant water power can be obtained for tho supply of electricity for domestic and commercial purpoeesTho project outlined in the Public Works Statement of last year is one of very considerable interest to the community for the benefits to be looked for, if the scheme can be successfully i inaugurated, are immense. Not only Joes the hope of effectively handling our water power in this respect en-1 courage us to look for the supply of j cheap power and light to the cities but for an extension in tho use of electrical energy to tho smaller towns and rural districts. It will bo remembered that when the Minister for Public Works submitted his scheme to Parliament he was immediately assailed with charges of the most heinous character. ‘ 1 Wild cat,” we distinctly remember, became a favourite form of •.xpressipn just at that time* Members of Parliament who know no more bout electrical engineering than they know about astronomy gravely warned tho Minister that thoughts of transmitting electricity for more than a mile or two was the maddest of all possible mad dreams. These gentlemen were by turns persuasive, truculently contradictory and abusive. We were warned that if any scheme of harnessing rivers, lakes, or waterfalls was commenced the end would be disastrous. Strangely enough this wild outburst was accompanied by the contention that the Whole thing should bo left to private enterprise, which, we were given to understand, was ready to do everything tho limitations of applied science would prevent the engineers of tho department from accomplishing. It will bo noticed this morning, however, that the gentleman who comes as an expert' in these matters speaks with entire confidence of the possibilities of transmitting electricity. Indeed, he does not seem to pay any attention to that point, his only reservation being in regard to permanency of generating power. This is entirely satisfactory, and it fa to bo hoped will allay tho apprehensions of those Oppositionists who were so positive on tho subject a few months ago, and so ready to accuse tho Minister of attempting something that had been found impossible elsewhere.