IN FAVOUR OF TEKAPO.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 12 June 1924, Page 8

IN FAVOUR OF TEKAPO.

Sir—Like tne majority of people oi Timaru I considered that tlie Golc-,-icloo electric system ought to be K'Pj' 1 ’ a trial Tho trial is not a success, but it is very trying to the nervous system when the light goes out and the machine stops, so now I am all tor a trial -of Tekapo power, and I hope ■there will he many more people i 0 bac-k it up. Coleridge power , 1S no '' a , swallowed up and the machines them are heavily overloaded in fact so bad is the outlook that Christchurch is considering the necessity of calling on the Tramway Board and City Council s steam plant to help the Coleridge supplv. Being as bad as that, wheio docs little Timaru come in? I suppose we will have to go back to our oldfashioned and wasteful steam plant, and i>as engines to help the Coleridge supplv. This Coleridge supply is altogether wrong. They have had to turn a river into the lake to get the water, nevertheless the level in ihe lake was below normal some two weeks since. What is going to happen when more water is taken for turbines., in seven years the load has gone up from 4500 k.w to 12 ; 000 k.w., and still the cry is for more' and more power. Can wo not see a lesson in the above experienee of Coleridge power thiough large increases in the demand every year? Why should Timaru be afraid of going in for the Tekapo scheme when we see, tho strides made by Christchurch in its use of electric power. Whv. if we had the power, wc could sell Christchurch a matter cl •1000 k.w. bv tho time we get the Tekapo fixed' up, and they already inquire much more than they can get from Coleridge, or are likely to got. 'When things get to the worst, they mend, and what with stoppages, and high prices for current, and paying for five units when you use one or two, to say nothing of the 10 per cent, per month if you forget to pay or happen to be short ot cash on tho 30th, why things are rather rotten. Then again, if we had the Tekapo power in our own hands we should be free of all the red tape connected with a Govern-ment-owned scheme, and its many officials in Wellington. Finally, 1 consider that Tekapo is as necessary for ’Timaru trade as our harbour is. and that Christchurch can .swallow all tho power that can be produced at Coleridge. My figures are taken from Mi F.'ii. Climie’s report to the Progress League, and I must, say that it is a masterly report on Coleridge power.