ELECTRIC POWER

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11740, 30 January 1924, Page 4

ELECTRIC POWER

WAIRARAPA’S NEEDS DEPUTATION WAITS ON PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER. STAND-BV SUPPLY WANTED. Mr J. C. Cooper (chairman of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board) and Messrs T. B. Moore and J. W. Kershaw (members of the board) waited upon the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister for Public Works) yesterday to place before him the needs of tlieir district in regard to electric power. The area covered includes the boroughs of Masterton, Carterton, Featherston, Greytown, Martinborough, and the whole of the Wairarapa Valley, having a population of about 21,000 and a capital value of £6,300,000. Tlie deputation, which wa6 introduced by Mr A. D. McLeod, M.P., was accompanied hy Mr H. R. Climie (engineer) and Mr P. A. Smith (secretary to the board). KAURARAU POWER STATION. Mr Cooper said that the object of the deputation was to apply for the completion by the Government of the transmission line from Tarania, Mangamaire being the last sub-sta-tion, to the Masterton sub-station. The position was that the board liad in the meanwhile installed the Kanrarau power station, with a capacity of 1200 horse-power, and as the meat works’ demand would not come on for some time that power was sufficient for the present. The board, therefore, was not prepared to take any power, but it wanted to know the terms on which the Government would erect the line to serve as a stand-by. GUARANTEE OF REVENUE. In reply, the Minister pointed out that, unless the board was prepared to guarantee a sufficient revenue, he was not prepared to authorise the erection of the line. The question of the exact amount of the guarantee required was one for the engineers to discuss. He suggested, therefore, that the matter be referred to Mr L. Birks (chief electrical engineer to the department) and the board’s engineer to consider, and arrive, if possible, at a satisfactory arrangement. On receipt of Mr Birks’s report he would communicate with them again. Tliis course was agreed to.

WANCANUI REQUIREMENTS

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. A deputation from the Wanganui and Ranjgitikei Electric Power Board— Messrs B. P. Lethbridge (chairman) and Hope Gibbons and F. Purnell (members) —waited upon the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister for Public Works) yesterday afternoon, with regard to the point and voltage of supply for the board’s district. The engineers to the board (Messrs Templin and Toogood) placed the case of the board before the Minister, urging that the district should be served at one sub-station only. The Minister promised to go thoroughly into the facts laid before him and give an early decision. The department, he stated, had not made any promise to supply the Wanganui Borough Council direct, and it was expected that the Power Board would supply the borough with its requirements.