OPENED YESTERDAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11785, 22 March 1924, Page 5

OPENED YESTERDAY

BIG ELECTRICAL WORKS PRIME MINISTER. PERFORMS OPENING CEREMONY. COST HALF A MILLION. Per Press Association. TAUMARUNUI, March 21. The hydro-electrical works e-ra-ted by the borough at a cost of £521,000 were officially declared open by the Prime Minister this afternoon in the presence of a large gathering of townspeople at Piiiaka, about five miles from Taumarunui. The works are said to he the secondof the kind erected in tlie Dominion. The power generated will bo sufficient to supply th© town and the district for many miles around. The power is obtained from the Wanganui river, and the work was erected under the supervision of Messrs Hay, Vickerman and Lancaster (consulting engineers) Tho turbines were erected by Boning and Co., and the generators by the National Electric 00. A BIG FUTURE.

. The Mayor (Mr C. O. Marsack) introduced Mr Massey, who addressed tho gathering from, the entrance to the power-house. He said that Taumarunui had made Wonderful progress and was no doubt a coming city with a great future before it. He referred to the general development of hydro-electrioity throughout the Dominion, including the Government undertaking, and those of the local bodies, and said that the Government was going to do a lot mote in utilising waterfalls for the development of power. CURRENT SWITCHED ON. At this stage of proceedings there was a heavy downpour of rain and the majority or the people crowded into the power-house where later the Prim© Minister switched on the electric current amid loud applause. Having inspected the work Mr Massoy visited tho Kaitieke Dairy Company factory nearby, and then returned to Taumarunui. To-night the Prime Minister, will bo entertained to a dinner attended by representatives of the local bodies, engineers and others associated with the hydro-electrical scheme, and will later address citizens in Main street, which lias been festooned with coloured electric lights for the occasion.