The Timaru Herald MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1928. STRENGTH IN UNITY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17943, 30 April 1928, Page 8

The Timaru Herald MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1928. STRENGTH IN UNITY.

Ropre scntatives of live Christchurch. City Council, in company with members of the (Jammu Borough Council and Waitaki Bower Board, conferred in the southern centre last week on tne vital question of ail adequate supply of hydro-electric euei g\ for Canterbury and North OtagoObviously there is a feeling throughout the wide district served by the generating plant at Lake Coleridge that there is a grave danger 1 of the electricity demands overtaking 1 supply before a new source of hydro-electric power can he brought into operation. For years the province of Canterbury was divided in its hydro-electric policy. The city authorities, no less than the people of South Canterbury, sought the consummation of their own policies. The northerners strongly urged the Government to .facilitate the development of the Waimakariri scheme by the Oilns-tchurch' City Council, while South Canterbury favoured the harnessing of the Tekapo scheme in the interests of the district. The Government, however, having invested a very substantial sum in the development of the Coleridge scheme, and having regard to the increasing- demands of the whole province, insisted upon taking a national view of the problem, with one 1 eye on the importance of balancing the South Island hydro-electric development, by providing a new generating 1 station somewhere between Coleridge in the north, and Waipori in the south. To harmonise the conflicting demands called for the- exercise of tact and diplomacy. There was. some talk of the people’s birthright, b-ut it must be said to the credit of the Government that it never wavered in its- policy, which involved proceeding on national lines. It is clear that united Canterbury and North Otago- is determined to accept the Government’s viewpoint, but as we pointed out four months ago, the fact remains that the Government isi not likely t.o he permitted to cherish any illusions as to the attitude of united Canterbury aird North . Otago on the question of the provision of adequate supplies of hydroelectric energy. It is quite true that there was endorsement of the view propounded by one-spe-ake-r at the conference of interested local authorities-, that caution, should be shown before urging the Government to plunge into heavy expenditure that mi°‘ht prove premature. Nevertheless, the investigations conducted on • the Waitaki river have been of such a. comprehensive and prolonged nature that a definite decision should be possible by now. It is just as well to mention that careful estimates show that Lake Coleridge will be supplying its full load in 1931, at the latest, but as has been repeatedly pointed out, Departmental e-stimates of demand have repeatedly been inaccurate. For* example, the Department’s -estimate for 1928 was- exceeded during the winter at 1927. Not unnaturally, the local authorities, who have a more accurate knowledge of the requirements of the districts interested, are becoming a little anxious regarding the future. The December Conference urged "that the Waitaki scheme should be far enough advanced to take part of the fast-advancing load, preferably, by the winter of 1929, and certainly by the early autumn of 1930. It was also- decided that' the "investigation of sites was not being 'carried on as expeditiously as the seriousness of the. situation requires.” The visit of representatives of the Christchurch City Council to the proposed site of the Waitaki scheme gives welcome evidence of the determination of the city authorities t,o- co-operate with South Canterbury and North Otago in.urging the Government to make an early commencement with the development of the scheme the Government' itself accepted a.s : the next source of hydro-electric energy to be developed by the State. In Christchurch there has been developed an -eleotricity sense which infuses life into every agitation in favour of hydro-eleotrio development. But there must be absolute unanimity throughout the whole o-f Canterbury and North Otago, and every legitimate pressure should be exerted on the Pariia,mentary representatives of the whole- area with a view to bring--ing l _ the Waitaki scheme to fruition at the earliest possible date, and in this highly important work, every local governing- body throughout South Canterbury should throw its influence into the movement now. being so strongly supported in all parts- of Canterbury and No-rtlr Otago.