HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 8

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

(ITbou Oob Own Coehesfomdkht.) QUEENSTOWN, March 1. Messrs I». Birks, Chief Electrical Engineer for the dominion, and 0. Todd, representing the Dunedin Expansion League, arrived in Queenstown by motor from Pembroke* yesterday on. business witn th. 9 Otago Hydro Electric Committee's committee's campaign. The Kawarau Falls, .which is under consideration at the present time as a potential source of electrical energy for the borough of Queenstown, was visited, and it is that Mr Birks has approved tentatively of the report on the scheme submitted recently by Riband Co., electrical engineers, Wellington. The Mayor of Queenstown was approached by Mr Todd in regard to the likelihood of the Queenstown Borough coming into the rating area of the Hydro Electric Power Board. Bqth gentlemen went* south this morning. > Mr. Robinson, assistant to Mr Birks, is visiting the JCawarau Falls again to-day with a view to going more fully into the proposed borough scheme.

' MEETING-AT ROXBURGH. " Members of the Hydro-electric Committee of the Otago Expansion League, in the persons of Messrs Todd (president), Inglis Wright, Cohen, and Loudon, accompanied •by Messrs L. Birks (Government Electrical Engineer) and R. T. Sadd (Commissioner of Crown Lands), met a representative gathering of citizens at Roxburgh on Thursday, 26th ult. Addresses explanatory of the present activities of the Hydro-elec-tric Committee were delivered by each of the visitors, and an appeal was made to the district to do its part in pushing on the great question of hydro-electric energy for Otago. Several members of the local branch of the league followed the visiting speakers, and referred to the purchase by the • district of valuable water rights and plant, which it was intenJed to utilise for the purpose of providing local needs. It was evident from the discussion which ensued, and provoked some straight complaints from the local people of apathy displayed by Dunedin towards Roxburgh, that the intention of the district to proceed with its own scheme did not find favour with the members of the Dunedin Committee. The local speakers endeavoured to make it oear [that there Was absolutely no intention of entering into conflict with the larger body or of doing anything which would be prejudicial to the progress of the main scheme. BTbr the sum of £ISOO they had secured water and plant capable of providing 250 horsepower, ample for the district's needs for many years. This Mr Birks characterised as an exceedingly low price—less than £8 per They that :fcheir one desire was to provide th"e district as early as possible w'.th all the facilities electricity afforded. This could be done in considerably under two years, whereas if £hey were content t 6 wait until the large scheme reached 'Ahem these facilities would be for many, many years. They were quite prepared to throw in their lot with the provincial scheme and be absorbed by it whenever it reached the district, bufc xill then thev were determined to do something for themselves' when they actually jtwssessed the zno'ana of doing! so,

Several minor passages-at-arms occurred between the chairman of the parent league and the local speakers, but eventually oil was poured on the troubled waters by the suggestion that the district throw in its lot with the Otago Power Board to be formed, on the understanding that the development of the local scheme would receive the first attention of the board immediately after its inception. The Dunedin gentlemen gave their personal assurance that, as far as in'their power, this would be done; and the committee of the local scheme, with power to add to its number, was appointed to attend to the circulation of petitions in the district. The following morning Mr Birks and the other memberß of the party were taken over the property acquired by the district and on to the flat, for the irrigation of which (about 3000 acres )the scheme proposed to supply water. Abundant evidence was present to show the great value of water where it was available (unfortunately in very small quantities). The trip concluded with an inspection of the TeviotMolyneux Company's mine, where Mr Ewing, its general manager, took the party in hand, and explained the various points of interest in connection with its operations.

CROMWELL ENTHUSIASTIC. On Friday 27th ,ult., a largely-attended meeting was held in the schoolroom of the Cromwell Presbyterian Church to discuss the hydro electric schemes outlined by Mr Birks. The Mayor (Mr Brodrick) presided over the meeting, and a resolution pledging the district to support the scheme was enthusiastically adopted.