ELECTRIC POWER FROM WAIPORT RIVER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12385, 21 June 1902, Page 10

ELECTRIC POWER FROM WAIPORT RIVER.

MR \V. K. RICHARDSON'S ' PROPOSALS. I'OWKK FOR DItAIXACiK AND INDUS-TRIAL-PURPOSES. At. a recent meeting of the Maungatua Drainage Board the question of creeling another pump on the east side of I.eo Creek was considered and dismissed, as from experience it was found tli.it in a we. season one nngino and pump were net sufficient to keep the waler Ironi spreading out ever thesurface (if (lie ground. Although it hud cost aboul £200 for pumping for Iho past 12 months, a considerable area of land on the cast side of Lee Creek was slill under water, and it 'was unanimously resolved, il the board could get a loan from the Government under "The Lccal Bodies' Loans Act, 1901,'.' to erect.mioer pump on the east side of Leo Creek: hut before taking any steps in the matter it was resolved to ask Mr W. E. Richardson, of Dunedin, and late of Outram, lo attend a meeting of the board and advise them re the cost of electricity as a motive power for pumping, p.iul to ascertain if lie. could supply it, and on what terms, and the most suitable kind of pump to use, etc. The board held a further meeting on Monday last, at v.-hieh Mr Richardson was present. He was asked if lie could give fome particulars of tlio cost al which lie could supply electric power from the. Wuipori liiver, and said 1 lint, although he hi'.d not yet reached the stage at which he could fix the price of the power which he was arranging to have available for motive power purposes for industrial undertakings', yet he could say to the board, as lie had said to other users of power, that lie estimated that lm could supply power at I one-fourth to one-third of the cost of steam, I in addition lo which there would be in their : case a great saving in doing av.ay with the I difficulties of carting coal to the pumping f-tiitions over soft, ground in. wet. weather. The possibility of sunplying power cheaply on the Taicri would depend on the question of sufficient inducement being offered for the crection of a power line through the di=lrict. Mr Richardson staled that lie had good prospects of taking power to Mosgiel, Tiuruside, TCaikorai Valloy, and ultimately Dunedin, and this would mean a power line right through the Taicri. Probably the members of the board bad beard that the Corporation of Dunedin were trying to acquire the water rights, but their power to do so had yet to be decided. Mr Richardson could assure the board that to soil to the Dunedin Corporation was not part of his intention, as ho had realised on his previous business at Outram expressly lo take up the business of power supply at Waipori. and had no intention of handing the whole thing over to any corporation, and that he meant to devote the power generated by his works ' at Waipori to mining, industrial, and other requirements, and, if needed, to lighting and transit. lie had no objections to doing busi- ■ liess ultimately with the corporation in the , way of supplying power, but ho had not : taken lip these water rights with th rt view ' of soiling Ibcin to the corporation. His in-; tcntion was to establish an industry to bo of benefit to the whole district, while he hoped to bo benefiting himself. Replying to questions, Mr Richardson stated that the first cost of en electric motor at the pumping site would be considerably less than that of a ft-cam engine, and. that there would lie no difficulty in connecting such rower with the pump wheels now in use. It was difficult to say when iho power would bo available, but bo honed it might ' not be more than 12 months. The members ' of the board expressed great pleasure at the • prospect of cheat) power for pumping, which tlioy anticipated would revolutionise the drainage of the Taieri I'lain. and the hoard, in reply to a question, from Mr RiehanUon, said (hat they hail no doubt that tlio farmers of the district would be very willing to givo Mr Richardson every facility for taking a liower line through the Plain, inasmuch as ; in addition lo the cheapening of tlio draiuj age of their pronerties great advanta"o ; nmild be'derived from power brine 1 nvaii--1 able for ether operations to which farmers I wcro giving their attention. Tim chairman ! ?nd two member! of the l-na:d then ieft, , along with Mr I? irhnrd'-'on, to in.sp?ct the pump, which was at work.