HYDROELECTRIC POWER

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 7

HYDROELECTRIC POWER

ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT EXPLAINED. (Fhom Our Own Correspondent ) WELLINGTON, September 20. A question relating to the development of the big water-power scheme at Milfordj Sound for the extraotion of nitrates from the air was asked in the House. Mr E. Newman asked the Minister of Agricultura whether his attention had been drawn to the address lately delivered by Mr Orchiston, chief telegraph engineer, with referenco to a scheme for the extraction of nitrates from tho air, on lines similar to schemes now in operation in Norway, Germany, Italy, America, and England. Mr Orchiston mentioned that hydro-eiectria power ooulct be developed at To Anau at about £5 per horse-power, as compared with £2O at Niagara. That power could be developed to produce £IOO,OOO worth of products per year, and on this scale would pay dividends of 100 per cent. A company nad been formecj to work the power, but the Government up till now had not consented to the soheme. Mr Newman asked whether the Government, if it could not utilise the waterpower, would consider the advisability of allowing a private company to acquire thd rights, making provision that eventually tho property might fall into th© hands of thA Government.

Tho Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald (Minister of Agriculture) said that he had been in communication with Mr Orchiston, arid had obtained from him a very great deal of data. When an opportunity occurred, he would submit all tho papers to Cabinet lot consideration. The Hon, W. Fraser (Minister of Fublio Works) said the application had come to* him in the first, instance, and he would answer the question, as his department dealb with the development of water-power for electricity. According to an Act passed by Parliament some y year 3 ago, it was decreed that the water-power of the dominion was to be retained for tho Government, and was not to be given to private individuals, except in certain casea where it could nob bo used for general purposes. Over a wholo distriot, In small localities, or in tho case of small streams, exception might bo made and concessions granted to municipalities This scheme, however, "was a very big thing—one of the biggest in tho dominion —and whon it was submitted to him ho at once turned it down. He < wrote to state that he considered that this was such a scheme as Parliament had decided should not be granted to any private company. Subsequently he submitted the matter to the Cabinet, which approved of hi* decision. Since then there had been a constant agitation to have his decision reversed. He had no fear that tho Government wouli do this, and he felt sure the House would impport him in the action he had taken. It was such a very big scheme that 14 should not be allowed to pass out of the control of the Government. Before tho application had been made he had been m consultation with Mr Parry (eleotrioal engineer of the department), who brought tho Lake Coleridge scheme -to such a success, on the subject of using this power for tho extraction of nitrates from the air. Ho had told .the applicants that tho Government would never agree to their proposal. He saw also that thi3 application was being* made simply for the purpose of acquiring the rights and selling them out to an American company. Some of the documencs sent to him were full of American phrases. He hoped the House would not ask tho Government to part with this very valuable power, which was available alongside a harbour that would take the biggest vessel afloat. He was sure that this power might be used for other purposes than that of tho extraction of nitrates. With this power vr& could do certain work in this country mora cheaply than it could be done in any part of the Australian continent. There were refractory ores in tho neighbourhood which required electricity for their proper treatment. If the Government did undertake tho harnessing of this power very profitable industries would be developed.