DECISION SOON

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19336, 28 May 1937, Page 4

DECISION SOON

POWER FOR COAST CABINET POLICY AWAITED MIN IST HR, SYMPATHETIC LOAD SURVEY EXPENSES (Herald Special Reporter) TE PUIA, this day. A Cabinet decision on a policy to supply electric power to sparsely populated areas is expected within the next two or three months The Minister of Public Works, tlie Hon. R. Semple, made a statement to this effect to a deputation from the Wainpu County Council last night, when lie stated that in the meantime the council could rest assured that expenditure on a load survey would be validated.

Mr. Semple made this statement aftei the chairman of the Waiapu County Council, Mr. D. W. W. Williams* had said that the cost of building a line from Patutahi to Ruatoiia. and the reticulation were beyond the anility of the settlers, and he asked for the Government to extend its main line from Patutahi to Runtoria. lie asked that the Government should give statutory authority to validate expenditure by the local bodies concerned to spend £SOO on a load sur vey.

Mr. A. Gordon llultquist, M.P., said he could speak not only as the member for the district but as an electrician. Ilcappreciated tire difficulties of the people who were without the amenities of life, not only because of poor roads but also of the lack of electricity. Population Problem The problem, Mr. llultquist said, was lack of population, and the population would not be encouraged to come to the district until the amenities of life wort supplied. Much of the increased population in New Zealand would come to this district; he had one of the smallest roll numbers in one of the largest electorates. It was a national responsibility to give power to the district. Tolaga Pay had electric power from the county plant, but the cost was Is 6d a unit. He urged the Minister to instruct the chief electrical engineer to conduct an investigation into the prospects of an electrical power supply to the Coast. The people were prepared to assist, but could not provide the whole cost. The Minister said he would undertake to validate expenditure for a load survey. So far as the major question was concerned, whether the Government would assist in providing the line when the survey was over would be given consideration. He gave approval the other day to have additional plant installed at Waikaremoana, but the Cabinet had not approved of it yet. The proposal was to run the water already used into another pipe and use it over again for generation purposes lower down, so that Tuai would have sufficient- power to spare. A Policy Question

The bringing of power into the district was a policy question, Mr. Semple said, and he could not give an answer to that yet. The problem of bringing power into sparsely populated districts was one that would have to be tackled, but first there must be national control over generation. There were some plants all over the country and huge profits had lieeu made over the supply of electricity to local bodies and local bodies were still making profits • out of the sale of electricity while many people were still burning the candle. Electricity should not he used for profit-making purposes, and no profits should be made until they reduced the cost to the consuming public. If the business showed a profit, that should reflect itself to the consuming public, and while there were thousands of people still burning the slush light and the candle no profits should be made until the power was extended throughout the country. The Government had invested £13,000.003 of public money in providing hydro-electric power, and city dwellers had made thousands of pounds out of the business and reduced their rates. This should never have been allowed, and could only be stopped when the Government- bad complete control over generating. Visit to Victoria. lie had had requests from all over the country for electricity and those .people would never have electricity while they had to provide guarantees. He intended goingi to Victoria to investigate a scheme there. He understood that Japan also had a very good scheme. All he could say now was that he had to talk to the Cabinet about the matter shortly. lie had his own opinions on the matter of supply to sparsely populated districts, and in the next three or four months the Cabinet would be compelled to make a decision on the matter, for he had to give answers to many other districts. Ho. had been worried about it from North Cape to the Bluff. lie did not know how the. problem would be tackled, but some immediate relief would have to he given.