TEKAPO.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 27 June 1924, Page 7

TEKAPO.

FORMATION OF LOCAL LEAGUE

AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.

Notwithstanding the wet weather there was a Jarge and enthusiastic meeting in the ii.M.C.A. Hail last night-, when a public meeting was held for the purpose of ratifying the ioimation of a Tekapo Development League. Included among those present were the Mayor of Waimate (Air AV. E. Evans), and several members of the jWaimate Borough Council, and the Mayor of Timaru. Air C. E. Kerr presided, and on the platform with him were Alessrs Herbert Hall, C. W. Wood, AV. Angland, AV. O. Long and It. AVedderspoon (secretary). The chairman expressed pleasure at 6eeing so many present on such a wet night, and he was specially to see in the audience the Alayor of AY aimate and several members of the Avaimate Borough Council. He went on to explain the object of the meeting, and said that he did not propose to say anything against Coleridge, as it condemned itself. (Hear. hear). Mr Iverr referred in highly encouraging terms to the potentialities of Lake lemipo as a source of electric power for pout 1 Canterbury, and urged the formation or a strong Tekapo Development League for the purpose of taking advantage, of this great source of wealth which was now running to waste: It was not proposed to go in for Tekapo right or wrong,” but only to go in for it, if, after a careful survey and estimate of cost, it was found to be a profitable proposition. (Applause). _ Mr Wedderspoon then read the objects of ,tlie proposed League, and the chairman proposed their adoption. Mr Angland, in seconding the motion, expressed the hope that it would be carried unanimously. He also advised the people of the whole district to pull together, and said that, if they had done this during the past three years they would now be enjoying the advantages of Tekapo power. (Hear, hear.) Mr Angland gave.a Sketch ef all that had been done in connection with the supply of electric power for South Canterbury, and explained the part which he had taken m it. He blamed the Power Board for having failed to investigate the possibilities of Tekapo, and said he was satisfied that Coleridge power would never -meet the needs of boutn Canterbury. One concern alone m 11maru would take, half the P° w quired by Christchurch in 1914,.wJJ was 800 h.p. Air was the dutv of the Power Bbard-to get the best expert obtainable to report on Lake Tekapo, and to give an estimate of the cost of developing power there Having got this report the Power Board should place it before the ratepayers and ask their sanction to a loan, which he ventured to say would be readily given. (Applause). AIR HALL’S ADDRESS.

Air Hall said that the investigations, so far of Lake Tekapo, had made available to tbo general community Dm great asset’ and natural heritage . our potential water-power. Mn.-.l these investigations were, undertaken within the last few years there, was no commercial, value attachable to water-power, either there or elsewhere in South 'Canterbury. Private, lnvesticatoi’S, at,no cost either to thopubhc or the tax-payer, had shown that the cost of harnessing this power would not bo millions, as previously believed, nor even' half a million as the Governixierit engineers maintained, ; but a. quarter of a million. .They had shown that they’ htid the best and cheapest, besides . the largest scheme at present undeveloped in the Dominion He could not understand the attitude of ■mind of people who were always prepared to decry their. own .possessions. It would seem that it is just as tinscientific ? and' uneconomic to import electricity as it would bo to import prime mutton. If we viewed tho matter m a true perspective we should aim at exporting water-generated-electricity to our neighbours north and South on the same basis as our other exports. He tad seen water-power electricity of Scandinavia transmitted across the Baltic Sea to Denmark, and the waterfalls of Norway drive the milking machines of Denmark. Lake Tekapo is. geographically and hydrologically the ideal power source, not only for South Canterbury hut for mid Canterbury and the- northern portions of Otago. The immediate object of the League was to investigate the engineering features of:.this power scheme. Thise investigations had already been, carried far forward by funds supplied by patriotic Timaru citizens. They had at the present time the whole of the river surveyed, the whole of the gaugiags and levels necessary for a specialist to formulate-ah estimate. This was not necessarily a very expensive matter. Thp difficulties that,, were faced in reiegard to the Waimakariri report, and which were the cause of -the expensive nature"of the engineering opinion, 'lid not exist at Lake Tekapo; neither was any type of tunnel ; proposed.. The work will consist of three distinct parts:—(l) Tho transmission line, which is one third of the t-olal cost; (2) the power canal cut across. The shingle bed of the river, and the installation of two turbines of 2500 'to 3000 h.p. each, and an outdoor transformer bank. The early advocates of Tekapo had an estimate of £275,000 from Air J. O. Bovine, a first class European authority, for the whole ot this work. To the estimate would have to be added transportation from the sea'board of all machinery, etc., to the lakeside, for which they had a tender of £SOOO. Then there were ’he expenses of six or seven cottages and a short road, in all estimated to cost £IO,OOO The sum total, therefore, amounted to £290,000, and was an offer made in boom times and before ike drop in the prices of material. It was his belief that when investigations r:e completed, the figure mentioned would be shown to be ample for the undertaking. There was alreadv in operation in New Zealand a hydro-electrical plant almr- -‘ identical with that proposed for 1 ekapo. That plant was at Hora Hora. on tho Waikato, a low head plant of about 8000 h.p.. built l«v the Waihi Gold Mining Company. It was bought by the Government three years ago to supply tlm Waikato district. and the price paid was C 250.000. based on post-war prices. Tins amount included fifty miles of steel rnnst transmission line. Mr Hall gave figures designed to show that for the first few years 5000 or 6000 h.p. would cost £30.000 a, rear, but an additional 5000 or 6000 li p. would cost less than £SOOO a year. Tf tlicv bought in initial years 5000 h.p. from Lake Coleridge they would have to nay CMO.OOO a year for it. If, when ilio~Sonth Canterbury load amounted to 10.000 h.p they were still buying from the Government. for the extra 5000 h.p. tlicv would have to pay another £IO.OOO a venr. while they could supply themselves from Lake Tekapo at £SOOO n veav.

Another in-’llr*y -*li<* League would 1l«1VC lo 1)0 Omij'rdif »1)01) position io :> ■l l > i ,1 1 f ■•> rin ;i of tin? t >‘n; ■- - mission from L•'!:>• ('<• Im hi go. The* Coleridge tr»nsniifsif. him nines in sv*ppathv wiih -lm ' r >-l::’p-> a;.-it;itinn. Tim only iimo Hod it m>, 1,. ; -, m - real progress during tho m-ey fl r ,-f s struct inn v-.m. v. ho>> l|m ?.rini«t"-r granted ;i license 1o inyo.-tb/nic Tekauo. Thee should join -.vit!) :inv rllio-,- nrgan Hatton in urgin' i/m Govornnioet lo put the existing one in proper trim. It was not, howovrr, on tlmi has is that we should onnoso tile* dunlient Inn. but on the ground that this typo r,t wasteful e’->m>e ,; t->rr -.'.nub! raise .ho price of electricity a'lain, ns it had done in tiio past, Tt is probable that

if they had not been interfered with by local politicians those promises would have been honoured A duplicate transmission hue to South > would cost in the vicinity of LIOO.UW.. Who was to bear the £IO,OOO a jem of- additional expenditure on tins hnm No part of it would be borne ty Christchurch, which had already struck a bargain with Um G°venmiont. for the next twelve or fifteen >eais, and it certainly could not be borne by any of the North Island pouei schemes. The power scheme at Alaiiigahao was estimated m 1919 to coat half a million. Two years ago the cost amounted to close upon one million and it is not finished yet. If th® cost could not bo spread elsewhere it must ultimately come back upon us as it did on a former occasion. _ The whole province was divided at the present time owing to the violation, of sound principles by the Power Board, which culminated in the rejection of their loan proposals. Those proposals were in tlieir essence at attempt. > o penalise Timaru. In any undertaking of this sort the basis of finance must be upon the capital value of the province which was security for the loan money. Timaru itself constituted only one-fifth of the capital value of that portion of South Canterbury which was under consideration, but its power demands were equal to the rest of South Canterbury combined. If a 6000 h.p. plant were installed at Tekapo, /i----maru’s capital liability would only amount to £60,000; but it would he entitled to use 3000 h.p. which would carry all classes of consumers to tho extent of 15,000 h.p. Tho position of small towns, such as Waimate and Geraldine, was of secondary import ance, as they were neither great consumers of power nor would they bear any large portion of capital expenditure, but -the general . farming com munitv would bear four-fifths of r.he capital expenditure and consequently, they, with Timaru, were the prime factors in the situation.- It would cost -ndod jo poaq .ied if.oniu su seraij oau lation in the country than in the town to reach them with an electricity supply;. In Timaru it had cost, for a population of 15,000, £4 per head, to distribute electricity; that was, for the street, poles and wires. To reach 15,000 of country population even in the best districts of South Canterbury, would cost for poles and wires alone, £ls per/head. The settler v?as under the further disability that he made a poor electrical load compared , with the town, is it was only possible under the best conditions, to sell his electricity once, where it could be sold twice in Timaru. Apart altogethei from the cost of wiring, the pool diversity of the rural load, would make farmers’ electricity dear. But if. ilio farmers could combine with Timaru it would mean that as far as the diversity was concerned, they would be twice as well off as operating independently. H the district were one, the position would be that instead of having Timaru with 15,000 costing £4 per head, and the farming districts an independent area, costing £ls per head, they, would have one district costing about £l9 ner head. However, Timaru pould mi finance the installation of a plant without the financial backing of the rural areas, so a fair bargain was mutually beneficial to both sides. Timaru, if helped to finance a power station ■-£ Tekapo, could in exchange, give tho settlors assistance from its favourable situation, which is necessary if they were to receive an electric supply. (Applause).

THE DISCUSSION.

On discussion being invited Mr W. Schraeder asked the difference in prico per k.w. paid in Christchurch and Timaru respectively ? The chairman said that Christchurch paid £5 per k.w., and Timaru paid £8 per k.w. Mr Schraeder produced an account for 5s lOcl' for electricity in Christchurch, and said that the same number of units in Timaru cost 20s.

Mr T. Thomson referred in very optimistic terms to the Tekapo scheme which lie said would bring fortunes to them all; instead of paying 8d per Unit they would get Tekapo power for 2d, and he was so convinced of the value of the asset which they had in Tekapo that he would give £lO straight away to the League. (Applause). Another speaker said lie had it on good authority that Oamaru was looking to Tekapo - for power.

The chairman said that it would be quite possible to supply Oamaru with power from Tekapo. A motion was carried unanimously and with applause approving of tho objects and the rules: of the League, and ratifying the appointment of the several officers.

The officers elected were as follows: Patron —Mr James Wilson; president, Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P.,; vice-presi-dents, Messrs C. E. iverr, W. O. Long, Herbert Hall, and R. Shillito; executive, Messrs R. Alston, T. It. Crowe, M. J. Doyle, P. B. Foote, Herbert Hail, H. R. Harris, C. E. Kerr, S. G. McClelland, E. D. Mcßae, E. Porter, R. Shillito, T. Thomson, R. L. AViglcy, James Wilson, C. W. Wood, W r . O. Long, W. Gibb, W. Angland, P. C. Tinned, J. W. Kelly, J. R. Bruco and Rev. T. W. Potts. The Mayor of Timaru (Mr G. J. Wallace) was proposed, but he declined on the ground that he is a member of the Power Board. At tho same time he made it clear that he is anxious to see the Tekapo proposal investigated. The chairman expressed the hope that they would all work earnestly and enthusiastically for the furtherance of the objects of the League, and said that if they did so success would bo assured. No other sciffcme in the Dominion would compare with Tekapo North Canterbury was after the Watmakariri s.-limne. and if they got it South Canicrhurv would play second fiddle a role which it lmd already played too long, nicer, hear). Tho Telia no League wanted the largest membership n eowld possibly get, so that when it had to approach the Gove.'uimoni on any mailer, it would he able to speak with considerable influence. It was intended to form branches of the League in tho country districts.

This concluded tho meeting, and a large number of (hose present enrolled as members of tho League.