THE WAIKOHU PROJECT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15270, 19 July 1920, Page 4

THE WAIKOHU PROJECT.

BOROUGH COUNCIL'S ANSWER REQUESTED BY SATURDAY. An interesting si age has been readier m connection with the Waikohu hydro electric project, m which the directors o tho company, m view of the action othe Xpuncil at its last meeting, are dc niariß-ng a definite reply by noon or Saturday to the application to ascertan whether the Council desire to he supplier with power from this source. The letter from the Town Clerk on behalf of the Borough Council to the company was as follows:— "fam directed by the Gisborne p.orougli - Council to acknowledge receipt of your communication C-l on the sth inst., desiring to ascertain if the Council will become a consumer of power from Waikohu, and also stating that your officers have all information as to rates of supply, etc., and suggesting a conference on the subject, and m reply havo to state that the matter was placed nelore the Council at their last meeting, when it was decided to write you and suggest that full details of price to be charged the Council for current and the probable date when power will be available, together with any other particulars you may have be supplied to the Council, m ' order that they may become conversant with the proposition, and after considering same should any points arise which will require an explanation, a conference as suggested by you could be held. Trusting to receive full particulars at an early date." n The following reply has -been sent to the Council:— "The charge for power offered to* your Council will* not exceed Id per unit. The engineer's estimate for the time required to commence the supply of power is two years. I have no other particulars to supply. It is assumed that your Council will proceed to provide reticulation m time for the full utilisation of power when available. As time is invaluable I must ask for a definite and final answer to the request coif tamed m my letter of the sth inst. before noon on Saturday, tWe 24th inst." CONFERENCE SUGGESTED. . The following letter was received today from the Cook County Council:— •With reference to % thc development ot hydro-electric power lor Poverty Bay and the East Coast, this Council considers it would he m the best interests of the district if a conference were held io uis<«uss the matter of suggesting to the Gisborne Hydro-Electric Engineering Company the advisability and practicability of diverting their efforts to the development of the Waikaremoana scheme. For this purpose your directors are invited, to join the Cook County Council. Gisborne Borough Council, 'and Waikohu County Council (and directors of the ( Company) at a conference next Friday, 93rd inst., at 2'p.nj., .m the Cook County Council chambers. Probably your Board will not be meeting before that date, but as it is essential that the proposal should , be dealt with as early as possible, I am directed to respectfully ask if you wiHj be good enough to notify the members of your directorate, and request them! 'to attend. It is desirable that there should be a representative attendance. The proposal is that the company, 'be asked to undertake the development of Waikaremoana instead of Waikohu, the local bodies to render every assistance m Hheir power m obtaining a . transfer of the j license, and thus have .unanimity- of effort m securing electric power for this district." The following Teply has been sent by the directors:— "I have to thank you for your invitation to the directorate of this company to attend a conference which your Council, m conjunction vith * ne Gisborne Borough Cour.cil. has originated to consider a pVop sal that this company should be ask >d to undertake the development of Waikaremoana instead or Waikohu. Thi-- company, after most protracted and exhaustive negotiations, is developing Ws kohu with t}ie full approval of the Gov?rnraent m advance of supplementary ah: to be afforded later from Waikaremoana by way of exchange to Waikohu. Our professional advisers have fully considered the relative advantages of original supply from Waikohu and \Vatkaremi/;ina m all its phases and have decided the matter emphatically m favor of Waikohu. As laymen, the directors unhesitatingly accept tie conclusions of their, advisers. They [are not fn a position now, even if it were possible and desirable, which m our opinion 5t is not, to alter their plans. Under these circumstances, while the directors will always welcopie aid from the local poverning bodies, they do not consider^' the proposal to be submitted to them is open for discussion. To take part* m suoh a conference would be to mislead the public, unsettle our shareholders, and ndefinitely delay what we all desire— the speedy supply of nydro-electric power to the dHstri«t." !