THE WAIPORI SCHEME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20701, 26 April 1929, Page 17

THE WAIPORI SCHEME.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l have to thank Councillor HayTi'ard for lua generous personal references in this morning's Daily Times, but, if I am not quite clear as to his position with regard to Waipori, the fault is not mine. X asked for some facts to bolster up his reckless statement that the opponents to the sale were going to strangle local industries, but he ignores this request and goes on to point out the danger of Waipori remaining an isolated power station. Ims has nothing to do with the suggested sale. Waipori will be linked up, sale or no sale. Surely Councillor Hayward remembers the negotiations between the Government and the Electric Power and Eight Department some considerable time beiore the sale was mooted. Then, as his two alternatives—“ we must either sell to the Government the Waipori head works or purchase power from the Government ” —the Government has no power available lor sale to Dunedin. When it has power mailable for sale in about three or four years time, the Electric Power and Light Department, if it can find a profitable sale for it, will be pleased to buy, and the Government will be glad to sell, as, failing a sale, the surplus power would just "be lasted.—l am, etc., James J. Marlow. to the Emxon. ur lß i? —J- Harlow ; s putting ,himforward as an ardent opponent of any sale of Waipori to the Government, but it might be just as well if be waited to know what the Government is prepared to do for the city of Dunedin when the negotiations betwen the Government officers and the council have, been finalised beiore putting forward dogmatic opinions Jt is bad policy to leap in the dark. Before offering any criticism of these opinions, would yon permit mo to ask him a question m order that the citizens of Dunedin may know where they stand with Sir Harlow? It appears from Sir Marlow’s letter in the Otago Daily Times of Tuesday that he is of the opinion that develop.a*i Waipori should be continued quite independent of the Government and without any negotiations for linking up with Waitaki, even when the power station there is completed. I want to get Mr Marlow nailed down to an opinion before , rc Pjy fully to him, as Ido not want the citizens of Dunedin to follow him in his leap in the dark. In effect, therefore, does Mr Marlow advocate the continuation indefinitely of the *' lone hand ” policy pursued in the past in connection with Waipori? Will Sir Marlow let us have an answer?—l am, etc., Tahioa.