“PLANT IS A FAILURE"

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1928, Page 2

“PLANT IS A FAILURE"

WAIRARAPA POWER SCHEME. CRITICISM BY MEMBERS. Some frank comments on the present position of the Wairarapa Power Board were made at a meeting by a member of the board, it being alleged that the board’s plant at Korarau was a failure. “Unless we get a great many more consumers we are going to e handicapped by our overhead charges,” said Mr. Tate. “I do not know why our charges may not be compared with those of the Hutt. Is it the fault of the engineer or the fault of our own plant?” The chairman (Mr. J. W. Kershaw): Our charges compare very favourably with those of other boards right through New Zealand. Do you mean to say our district has been wrongly designed in works and reticulation ? Mr. Tate: No. The chairman: Well, there you are. I can assure you of this: the reticulation in the Wairarapa is of the best. Mr. Tate: Every engineering works we have in Greytown is a complete failure. Mr. W. Benton: If the works were unsatisfactory then it was unforeseen, and the matter was dealt with as well as possible in the circumstances, and 1 do not think we have any reason to be dissatisfied. Mr. R. J. King: If we had not had such a good district to reticulate and such a numb'' o' consumers to connect, there is no d\ our scheme would have been a failure. Our power plant at Korarau has been a failure. Money has been spent there haphazardly in the past. The chairman: We have no reason. to be ashamed of our work of reticulation or of our plant. I cannot agree with Mr. King when he says Korarau has been a failure. It has been a very valuable asset to this board, and will continue to be an asset.