WATER POWER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 136, 1 August 1911, Page 2

WATER POWER.

FUTURE possibilities, influence on prosperity. .•'noliking before the members of the \ew Zealand Club at Wellington on llmrsday, Mr. Evan Parry, duel electrical engineer of the Government’s water-power development scheme, said Now Zealand seemed to him to lie peculiarly well off in respect to hydroelectric") 1 possibilities. The country had large resources, regular and abundant rainfall, and sources of power well placed within easy distance of the centres of population and industry; and, more than that, they had got still larger reservoirs to supplement supplies when the others wore too small to cope with the demand. Easy of Devclcpmant. Another peculiarity he had noticed was that all of these sources were remarkably easy of development; that was to say, tno initial capital outlay was smaller than anything ho had over had to do with in tnis respect. Not only that, but the configuration of the country was such as to enable the expenditure to keep pace with the demand. This was really most important, because electrical power undertakings took some time to mature. Ho considered that if such an undertaking earned expenses within three years it did very well, so they would sec the importance of not incurring too large an, expenditure at the outset. He considered the fact of the State having under taken'these duties also of great advantage, compared to the procedure of public companies. Ha had been concerned with two private companies, and he knew very well what the expenses amounted to. State Advantages. One syndicate had spent £25,000 on a Bill winch it didn't got through. Another company took the Bill up next esssion, and it cost them £IO,OOO. Then another syndicate spent £12,000 or £13,000 on it, so there was sometiling in the neighbourhood of £50,000 spent on Bills that didn’t 1 succeed. Then, assuming that a company did get a Bill, they had heavy underwriting and engineering, charges. In tiie case of Now Zealand the work was done by public servants on severely economical salaries. (Laughter!) Altogether, when they nut all these advantages together, it seemed to him that electrical power ought to bo developed in New Zealand cheaper than anywhere else in the world ; in fact, ho felt cpiito convinced of it. They had already excellent roads leading out, Gainfully planned, with due regard to the future requirements, and they had railway connection far in excess of any other country—he .should say hotter—compared to the population, and they would have in a few years another very potent and wonderful agent in the development of the 'country, which was going to have a tremendous influence upon the prosperity of the Dominion. (Applause.)