ELECTRIC POWER IN SOUTH OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 12

ELECTRIC POWER IN SOUTH OTAGO.

Good Work Accomplished. In the course of a few years after the success of the electric installation at Waipori had become apparent, a feeling grew amongst the residents of both the town! and country districts that it would be an advantage to carry power and light into the rural districts, which until that time had laboured under severe handicaps in many respects. Something of tb« kind had already been attempted by means o{ an agreement between the Taieri County Council and the old Waipori Falla Company, which was taken over by the City Council along with the contracts entered into. By this means portion of the North Taieri was brought within the scope of electric power delivery. Before the end of the war the Southland League commenced am agitation for the complete electrification of Southland, and its colleague, the Otago Expansion League, in Dunedin, undertook a somewhat similar, but less ambitious, scheme for Otago. la pursuance of that idea a most representative meeting of town and country delegates was held in the Town Hall, Dunedin, on July 24, 1919. Delegates were present from every county and borough in Otago, with the exception of Oamam, A resolution was passed affirming the urgent necessity of the immediate utilisation of hydro-clectric energy for the province, and a committee was set up to go further into the matter. That committee comprised representatives of Dunedin, the Taieri, Bruce, Clutha, and Maniototo County Councils, Milton, Balclutha, and Kaitangata Borough Councils, Tapanui, Heriot, Kelso, Lawrence, Roxburgh, Miller’s Flat, Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell, Bannockburn, Lindis, Hawca, Penbroke, Queenstown, Port Chalmers, Waikouaiti, and Camara. Mr Charles Todd (president of the Expansion League) was made chairman, and Mr IV. B. Steel secretary. This committee set to work and prepared a scheme for utilising water power from Lake Hawea. The electric department of the Public Works Department was invited to overhaul the proposals, and, holding that the time was not oppo tnne for such a gigantic installation, it recommended that steps should be taken for utilising a source Of power nearer to the centres of population and more nearly suitable for the limited needs of the country in its present state of development. This plan was finally followed, and attention was centred upon Waipori and the Teviot as the test sources of supply.

On the advice of the chief electrical engineer (Mr L. Birks), it was decided that it would be more effective if smaller bodies were created to deal with the local problems. As a result of this decision power boards are now in existence in the Teviot district and Central Otago (comprising Alexandra and Clyde), while the Queenstown Borough Council has taken up a schema of its own. The effect of this division was that the coastal regions were unprovided for, and a movement was set on foot hv several public-spirited citizens in Souths Otago to secure a direct supply from Waipetri. The Bruce Woollen Mills and the Milton Borough Cour.cil entered into an agreement with the City Council by which power was extended to them,-and a committee, of which Mr Jasper Clark was chairman, was set up with the object of arranging for the creation of a power board for South Otago. The Otago Expansion League co-operated in this movement, and finally succeeded in including not only South Otago, but the two northern counties of Waikouaiti and Waihemo within the area of the power board. The Waitaki County formed an independent body, which is now known as the North. Otago Power Board. The expansion of the business of th« Bruce Woollen Company and the necessity for providing more power exercised the minds of the directors for some years. The erection of additional bays went on almost continuously, but no solution of the power problem presented itself until about four years ago, when the general manager (Mr Grey), in the course of a conversation with one of the directors (the late Mr Matthew Henderson), suggested the possibility of obtaining power from Waipori. Mr Henderson undertook to go into the question with the city electrical engineer, and as the result of an interview the company was informed that the matter would he favourably considered hv the Power Department, but that it would he advisable to enlist the support of other possible consumers along tha proposed route of the transmission line. As the result of a canvass and an educative effort at both ends a meeting waa held at Milton, and was attended hr representatives of the city electric light and power department, the Bruce Woollen Company, the Milburn Lime and Cement Company, Fleming and Co., the Ewing Phosphate Company, and the Mayor of Milton. The features of the meeting' were the enthusiastic determination of the firms represented to do everything possible to bring their works up to date, and the very substantial guarantee of £3200 Tier annum for the next 11 years demanded by the City Corporation. A satisfactory adjustment of the guarantees was made, and the directors of the Woollen Company set to work energetically to carry the proiect into effect. Orders were placed in England for 11 motors, ranging from 10 b.p. to 85 h.p. and totalling 515 h.p. The installation of individual motors for each denartment enabled a great saving to be effected, as previously it was necessary to keep the whole machine)''- of rhe mill running, even if only one department was working overtime. In order to miard against such a, contingency as the failure of the power from Waipori the directors have taken the precaution of arranging that the machinery can be driven by steam if the necessity arises. As steam and hot water are required during the day, the main engine is retained for driving the carding and spinning machinery, but after 5 p.m. the whole of the riant is operated by electricity. The cost of the electric installation was £7050. The power was turned on for the first time about the end of March, 1922.