DO THE "STAND-BYS" PAY?

NZ Truth, Issue 1017, 23 May 1925, Page 6

DO THE "STAND-BYS" PAY?

H. E. Controversy Local Bodies and State— A Bill of £2500 an Hour. Though opinions differ as to the relative merits, of a big long-trans-mission hydro-electric power, as against a number of smaller shortdistance powers, defenders of New Zealand's big power policy are not lacking. One of them points out that a lowpower or low-tension station, or any number of them, would be limited to certain loads, which, at the end of five years or so, would call for extension; and thus, m all probability, we would be brought back to the existing ' state of over-loadedness. A comparison with Sweden and other countries, with their numerous pecu-liarly-placed waterways, does not apply. Als.o, Sweden herself uses 110,000 volts for main supply. So does Germany, from one big Rhine station. New Zealand's useful waterways or waterfalls are not so numerous, and are not conveniently placed; hence the high-power, 110,000-volt station is the better scheme for New Zealand, and the power should be centralised or "nationalised" as far as possible. "Put all ,your eggs m one basket and -then watch the basket." Therefore, if all our power is put m one' station, or a minimum number of high-power stations, carefully wached (i.e., properly loaded), a maximum result is obtained.

If Mangahao is to pay it must be loaded to a paying capacity at the earliest possible moment. The delays and haggling for power at a price, etc., by certain corporations— for example, Wellington arid Palmerston North is condemned as economically unsound, "and merely an attempt to justify two expensive and useless stand-by stations, one costing £300,---000 m Wellington, the other costing £100,000 m Palmerston North. An example of the usefulness, or uselessness, of a stand-by low-power statidn is

(Prominent citizen and J.P., j . j Bketahuna). * ■ A proper man as one shall see on a summer's day.— Shakespeare. :

the one at Masterton.. The Wairarapa Power' Board; like the Poverty Bay Power, Board and some others, wanted their own hydro power. Masterton got this installed, and m the. recent flood what happened? Damage, to the tune of -£30,000, and darkness for 30 days and 30 nights before the power was restored." When asked what he would suggest as a stand-by m case of breaks, the engineer who made this statement plied that a candle would do all j that was necessary.. The power cannot be off for any jength of time — from 3 minutes to 3 hours would be about the time it would ever be off from Manga - hao; He claims that stand-by power is far too costly and cannot be justified. Take the £100,000 station at Palmerston North as an example, and assume .that Mangahao was off for three hours m'• any one year. The annual: cost is then apportioned thus: Interest on capital, £100,000, ; at 7. 'per cent. .;. .. £7000 Wages, say . . . . . . 500 Coal and oil .. .. ..250 Total cost per annum .'; £7750 "Mangahao is off for three ( hours, and the cost, is therefore, £7750 divided by 3, or £2583 per hour, for ;,3 hours' work; and the plant is idle for all but three hours m the year. How absurd;" \ From another quartersit is learned that the Palmerston North Boi'ough Council, after niuch argument, has "decided to come m, and the Palrrierstoh. North stand-by station (which cost £100,000) will be under lock . and key m a few weeks' time. The 27 men at/present employed will be replaced by six Power Board men. Automatic sub- stations .will do the work of switching on and off as the load varies." ; . . " .