HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15365, 9 November 1920, Page 9

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

c- lhe Editor 6f tho Herald.) s»F»-- T h>s subject of private ownership versus a national scheme appeals to me. of sueli vast Importance to'tho interest of the community that I beg a .further trialof your patience and space to protest.' against the attitude of Labor in this crisis tliat so "vitally affects their welfare and professed ideals. Can -they not see that the only virtue that Waikohu possesses that Waikaremoana does not; is the" activity and energy shown by its promoters and the selfishness of its shareholders. This is the foundation of its popularity and evidently it contains some mesmeric influence that has blinded the street orator, and . dulled the disccrmrienfc of the less active -Laborite. '.-Whilst their fellows in Great Britain are fighting for power to control the great influence black coal bears in the industrial world, Labor in tliis district has done nothing to prcs vent the loss of the white coal which the .Government offer now toYbring to' their door, if proper application is made and aPower Board or Board of , Control formed. The form of,. this application is drawn up and requires a. very few more signatures to complete it for transmission to ■Wellington. It will be completed easily without, the Laborite songster by' the Laborite thinker and at the election of the representatives oh the Power Board will the songsters sing the same old songs or will they be songsters like the ostrich and perform, the same acrobatic feat fot, shame of incompetence.— Yours, etc., • ANXIOUS. •[Th© correspondent quite misrepresents the position when he "speaks of the selfishness, of the shareholders of tho Waikohu _ scheme, . Wo ,fee} ,sur.o ,thnt tho majority of. those who have., invested money in this scheme have done so not with the ; idea of gaining but purely 'to help, 'in "the .realisation, of a scheme that will bring "white coal" to Gisborne and district much eooner.'than it • can possibly be secured by reliance on the Government scheme, and at a price guaranteed by the directors not to exceed, the rates charged by the Government^ undertaking , in other parts of the Dominion. As ii community effort find measure of self .help, the "Waikohu project must 'commend 'itself toLaborites or any other, thoughtful persons who look into tho matter.— Ed; Herald.]