NEW ZEALAND'S WATER POWER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2654, 25 January 1905, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND'S WATER POWER.

THE " COLONY AS AN INDUSTRIE L CENIRE.

Before leaving tor the north on Tuesday the Hon. W. ttall-Jones, Muiibter of i-*ubiic Works, was interview eJ by a 'limaiu i'osc i-epoitor on the question of the uiuisdtioxi ol ths coloiry a waier power lor the generate on oi electricity. The matter has been under consioer<ttioa by the Cabinet ior bon^o time past, and it will bo remembered that. Mr iianeock, the American authority, made a report oi his observations and tne conclusions arrived fit dining tho course of a short \lslt to the colony. Since the receipt of ths report additional data have been collected by the officers of the department over which Mr Hall-Jones is Mmistcr-in-charge. With the object of gaining still further information, Mr F. S. Hay, superintending engineer of the department, has within tne past week been on a visit to Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, making further investigations. When passing through Fairlie on Friday last on ms way from Centiai Otego, Mr lj.all-Jones was met by Mr Hay, who expressed himself as iavourably impressed as to the practicability of utilising, the waters of the lakes tor electric powergenerating purposes, and in this connection the Minister gave some idea of the possibilities of the future. " Between Tekapo and Pukaki," he said, "there is a fall of 750 ft, but^ihe distance separating the two lakes is 15 miles. To connect them would entail a very heavy cast, and in this respect they do not compare favourably with Lakes Wanaka and Hawea, which at one part are only one mile «.nd three-quarters apart; but there the fall is only 150 ft. If the water from the two first-named lakes were brought down to a point a little to the south of Fairlie the fall would be1000ft. A power station erected here would give eleotricity to the extent of 500,000 horse-power, and what this would mean can be gathered when it is considered that all the steam, gas, and oil engines in the colony do not exceed 200,000 horse-power. It would mean that every machine within reach of Christchurch could be driven with this power — including the railway engines — at a saving of quite half the present cost. The result rannot well be over-estimated. It would make New Zealand the manufacturing centre of the South Pacific. Not only would we then grow our own wool, as at present, but the product could be made up at a cost that would allow us to compete in other markets, in spite of hostile tariffs. Australia or. any - other country south of the line does not possess such advantages as this colony does in" regard to its water power, and I am satisfied something will be done in the near future 'in the matter of utilising this great force, j That the project can be successfully carried | out has been proved at Niagara and in Switzerland. What is wanted is a sohemei that can be put into eff-ect in the near future at a cost which is not' prohibitive. A start will have to be made on a small scale, 'and this will undoubtedly lead to great things. I hope to see something done in this direction soon ; and it is with that object I am interesting myself in the matter.