WITAKI SCHEME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19942, 29 October 1934, Page 10

WITAKI SCHEME

OFFICIAL OPENINQ CEREMONY

THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNCTION

The most notable event in the history of the South Island for many years, the opening- of the Waitaki hydro-electric scheme, took place on Saturday in the presence of several thousand people. The Works were opened by the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) and the power was turned on by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral (Lord Bledisloe). As a memento of the occasion, His Excellency was presented with a replica in silver of one of the huge generators by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener). Before the switching on ceremony took place, the official guests, numbering more than 200, were entertained at luncheon in the huge power house. At the conclusion of the official programme, the works were thrown open for public inspection.

After six years of incessant labour, day and night, the harnessing of the swift flowing Waitaki river has become an accomplished fact, and on Saturday representatives of almost every part of the South Island assembled at the site of the scheme to witness the official opening ceremony. In anticipation of large numbers of people from North Canterbury, Mid and South Canterbury, North Otago and Otago being desirous of attending the function, special excursion trains were arranged by the Railway Department, and accommodation on these was fully taxed. Two trains were run from Christchurch, an ordinary excursion train which on arrival at Waitaki Hydro, carried a complement of upwards of 400 people. and a special train to accommodate the official party comprising Parliamentarians and Government officials from Wellington, of whom more than 200 were present. The train from Dunedin, which picked up passengers at intermediate southern stations, carried about 350 people.

The visitors who arrived at Waitaki before 1 o'clock were favoured with glorious weather. In fact, conditions were so hot that many motorists divested themselves of their coats, and left their cars as open as possible, in spite of having to drive through an almost continuous storm of dust. From Pukeuri right to the works there was what appeared to be a never-ending stream of cars, motor-bicycles and service buses, all with full complements. People on this route were mostly from the south, northern visitors making for the works via Waimate and Waihao Forks. On these roads conditions were much the same, and it is doubtful if the country rc ids have ever previously carried such a volume of traffic in one day. Most people made the day a picnic outing, and all round the works groups were to be seen enjoying refreshments. Those who had not thus provided for themselves were catered for at the works, but accommodation was limited, and a long wait to be served was inevitable. The early morning conditions at the works were ideal, the huge lake being like a mill pond. The sight was a most impressive one, the still waters mirroring the snowcapped mountains in the distance. Later a southerly wind sprang up, making conditions unpleasant. As the trains neared the works, the first signs of a completed task were heaps of rusted iron, buckets, piping and other paraphernalia. A huge crane set on caterpillar wheels was passed, and then set in a rush to the windows on the near side of the train to catch a glimpse of the works. The Canterbury side of the huge arm of concrete spanning the river first came into view, with only the merest trickle of water coming over the top. As the train rounded the bend, the four small engines hauling the heavy human loan over the Public Works section of the line labouring to the full extent of their capacity, the majestic sweep of the huge dam was fully revealed, and those who had not previously had an opportunity of seeing the undertaking were amazed at the vastness of the scheme. There was an incessant roar as the water left the lake and swept through the penstocks and over the dam, its momentum suddenly checked by the sharp drop, but again gaining movement and sweeping on either side of a huge island on its way to the sea. With the wind blowing upstream, a huge column of spray swept back over the top of the dam back over the lake. Interest of Public. No time was lost by the crowd on arrival in viewing as much of the works as was possible until the main doors were thrown open. Outside the power house, on the terrace, a danger sign was displayed, but this was ignored by most people in their anxiety to view the water as it swept past the power house. When the chance came, after the official ceremony, the public swarmed over the entire works, members of the staff beng most courteous in explaining the various sections of the work. Through the control room, the actual hub of the scheme, along the tunnel which runs across the dam, with the water roaring overhead; everywhere in fact, that it was possible to get. Guard Inspected. On the arrival of the official train, his Excellency inspected a guard of honour, comprised of members of the Upper Waitaki and Waitaki Hydro Returned Soldiers’ Sub-Associations, under Major Widowson, of Oamaru There were about 70 men from the works and 30 from Kurow. His Excel-

lency briefly addressed the guard, complimenting them on the spirit they had displayed throughout the trying years of the depression. He chatted freely with several of the men before passing on to the Power House where the official guests sat down to dinner. At the official table with the Gover-nor-General were the Prime Minister and Mrs Forbes, the Minister of Public Works and Mrs Bitchener, Mr M. J. Savage (Leader of the Opposition). Mr J. A Nash, M.P. .president of the Electric Power Boards' Association of New Zealand), and Mrs Nash, Mr F. T. M. Kissell (chief electrical engineer), and

Mrs Kissell, Mr C. J. McKenzie (Engineer in Chief of the Public Work; Department), Mr R. H. Packwood (en-gineer-in-charge of the Waitak Works), and Mrs Packwood, and Mi F. W. Furkert (Advisory Engineer tc the Government). Works Opened. At the conclusion of the dinner his Excellency and the guests were showi: over the power house, in which the keenest interest was displayed. While the inspection was in progress, the dinner tables were cleared away in order to make room for the public tc attend the opening ceremony, which was held inside the power house. B\ opening the main doors of the powei house, the Prime Minister declared the works open, and then there was a stampede for places of vantage to heai the speeches. The power house is 35C feet long and 150 feet wide, and all the available accommodation was taxed tc the utmost. Provision had been made for the Press representatives near the big generator from which the opening speeches were made, but it was not long before the public had commandeered the table to stand and sit on. Three loud speakers were suspended from the ceiling of the building in order that the people at the back ot the hall could hear the addresses, but the acoustic properties were bad, the voices echoing off the walls, and it is doubtful if anyone, excepting those close up, were able to follow the speakers intelligently. Apart from this defect. the opening ceremony was a most impressive one. The function was presided over by the Minister of Public i Works, who introduced the GovernorGeneral. Having completed his address, his Excellency moved off the huge generator to set the plant in motion. All eyes were centred bn a small handle which his Excellency turned, and as he performed the task the hum of the machinery became audible. Gradually the huge turbine commenced to revolve, and as it gained speed, yellow electric lights flashed up on the top of the machine. Then high overhead. on a huge crane which stretched frone one side of the building to the other, flashed out the words:— WAITAKI | HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER. The word “Waitaki” appeared in blue and the remaining three words in red. It was the first sign to be illuminated by Waitaki power, and as the coloured lights appeared, a round of cheering burst from the huge crowd. In order that the remainder of the speeches could be heard, the power was again turned off. Presentation to Lord Bledisloe. Returning to the platform, his Excellency was presented by Mr Bitchener with a replica in silver of one of the generators as a memento of the historic occasion, and also as an expression of the esteem of the people of the Dominion. His Excellency briefly acknowledged the gift, stating that the reproduction of a portion of the great works would serve as a happy reminder of the function in which he had taken part that day. His Excellency’s Address. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral (Lord Bledisloe) said that of all governmental activities in the Dominion there was probably none more important and certainly none more calculated to assist in expanding its industrial prosperity, its domestic comfort and its social amenities than the prudent development of its hydroelectric resources and their progressive and enlightened application to the multifarious requirements of modern civilisation. There was scope for wide differences of opinion regarding the relative value and efficiency of private enterprise and that of the Government and public authorities. But in the mutter of harnessing water power for a nation’s economic and domestic requirements there must be few who could reasonably doubt the wisdom of Government enterprise if guided by expert knowledge, long vision, courage and reasonable economy. Making full allowance for some costly experience and temporary setbacks, such as that which occurred at Arapuni three years ago, there was no ground for dissatisfaction with electrical development in this Dominion. If allowances were made for the mountainous character and thin population of the areas not yet reticulated it would be found that electric supply was available to no less than 94 per cent, of the total population (a percentage probably not exceeded in any other country in the world), with an average consumption per capita of about 500 units a year—a rate which was steadily increasing. The total capital invested in electrical supply undertakings in New Zealand was £32,000,000, of which £28,000,000 had been expended in the last 11 years. During the same period Government expenditure had amounted to £10,500,000.

A Reassuring Position. The completion of this 'Waitaki generating station added a further 30,000 kilowatts to the installed generating capacity in the South Island, the ultimate capacity being 75,000, which could 1 e provided by three additional 15,000 kilowatt units as the demand for power increased in Canterbury, Otago and Southland. It was pleasantly reassuring to know that the public electric supply system of the Dominion had, in compliance with the State Supply of Electricity Act, not merely paid all interest on capital outlay and operating charges, but provided over £1,000,000 in reserves, of which £160,000 had been applied by the Treasury in repayment of loaned capital. Apart from the Waitaki station the capital invested in the 95 electric supply systems in New Zealand aggregated over £30,000,000, of which £10,500,000 represented Government expenditure. Last year the total units generated I numbered over 857,000,000, of which 80

per cent, were supplied from Government stations. In spite of adverse economic conditions the consumption of electric energy was steadily advancing, the increase this year being estimated at 5 per cent, above that of 1933, and new consumers during the past year having been connected at an average rate of roughly 1,000 per month. Approximately 23.5 per cent, of the populr tion of the Dominion were

scheduled as consumers of electricity, and as each consumer was deemed to represent a household of four persons, it is calculated that the boon of electric supply is available to 94 per cent, of this country’s total population. It was satisfactory to note that while distributing costs were relatively high in this country when compared with some others generating costs were exceptionally low, and as consumption increased with increased population, especial 1 y in the rural areas, the former would come progressively to yield a satisfactory return on capital expenditure. The average cost for ordinary domestic purposes was 1.31 pence per unit as against 1.30 in Great Britain, and 1.39 in the United States of America. Although a reduction in the price of electricity supplied to consumers was greatly to be desired for the purposes of reducing farming, industrial and domestic costs, it was worthy of mention that the average revenue per unit received from them as a whole was only 1.28 pence per unit and from those obtaining it from the Government schemes for farm and domestic purposes, only 1.234 pence. These figures compared favourably with unit charges operating in more thickly populated areas in other parts of the world.

Linking Town and Country. Any movement which tended to knit town and country more closely together and to cause their respective communities to realise their mutual interdependence and identity of interest was of outstanding national importance, and this was especially true of the supply and distribution of electricity. What indeed seemed to i be needed more than anything else, if overhead costs and unit charges were to be lowered and rural uses for electric current amplified, was a fuller recognition of the complementary possibilities of user on the part of urban and rural consumers and the extent to which one could assist the other. There was a great variety of farm processes to which electricity might usefully be applied with great convenience and profit to the former. A good illustration on arable farms was cultivation by the tractor. If this and other like farm operations could be conducted at hours other than those of the peak load (say between 11.15 and 11.45 a.m., and between 4 and 5 p.m.) in the urban areas such user of current should constitute an at-

tractive proposition to the supplying authorities and should, judging by European experience, involve a cost of no more than Id per unit and ultimately considerably less. If any such user on the farms should by its growth constitute a new T peak hour, it would become possible to lower the rates for cooking and other domestic processes in the towns. In fact, by mutual accommodation at peak hours. Tie more that current was employed for cooking, the less it would cost at non-peak hours for farm tractors and other similar farm machinery, and the more that the latter could work at such hours the greater the prospect of reducing domestic charges. In initiating fresh applications of electricity to farm requirements it must not be left to the farmer to undertake possibly costly experiments of an isolated character. It would amply repay the supplying authority to expend money in demonstiations and advertisement.

In the present state of international finance it was of vital importance to national welfare to trade with those countries which traded with us. As much of the fuel which supplied mechanical energy on New Zealand lurms was imported from foreign countries whose custom with the Dominion was negligible, the adverse trade balance might be materially reduced by a greater use of electricity for such purposes. It was mentally stimulating to reflect, and nationally prudent to provide, that power generated from the snows of our Southern Alps was tilling the fields of this South Island and operating tractors of British manufacture (possibly assembled by New Zealand workpeople) rather than that the source of power and the means of utilising it were being derived from foreign sources. ■

Electricity on the Farm. It was in these countries which had , been equipped by Nature with great i water power of immeasurable potential I energy and which were at the same j time predominantly agricultural that 1 the possibilties of the application of |

electrical science and equipment to rural industry had been most marked and had demonstrated the wide scope of its potential economic utilisation in a great variety of processes. The processes to which electricity was being applied in the rural areas of the world included electric ploughing, harvesting,

the handling of crops, threshing, elec-tro-silage. electro-culture, and the treatment of plants by intensive illumination. irrigation, pumping and liquid manure distribution, besides a great variety of purposes in connection with dairy farming, poultry-keeping and bee-keeping. Of these perhaps

none was more interesting or had 1 proved more profitable than the use of j electric light by poultry keepers to increase egg production during the | winter months. His own experience j showed that a 20 per cent, increase in lay might thus be secured during the ; annual period of maximum egg value without any detriment to the vitality or constitution of the hens.

I The much criticised lack of uni- ! formity in the quality of New Zealand dairy produce in British markets was | in no small measure due to the inadequate securing, with steam or boiling water, of milking machines and other dairy utensils on the farms. He 1 could confidently prophesy that if and j when electricity became available for this purpose to the majority of dairy i farmers the average value of this Dominion's bm.er and cheese in Great Britain would rise by at least Id per lb. and thereby on many a well- | managed farm bridge the gap between I loss and profit.

A Possible Development. Among :ne possible tncrus:r:ai developments which, he understood, might follow the establishment of this great power station were the synthetic production of nitrogen from the air, the inauguration of the aluminium and caustic soda industries (the former if bauxite could be obtained cheaply from oversees), the winning of asbestos and the low-grade mining on an extensive scale of gold and other metals. He desired most heartily to congratulate Mr F. T. M. Kissel, Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department. Mr R. H. Packwood. the District Civil Engineer, and Mr L. S. Payne, electrical engineer, and all these, who, during the last seven years, had been responsible for the designing and successful execution, in face of many difficulties, of this great engineering feat, of which they and their fellow countrymen, as well as the Government, had every reason to be proud. It was satisfactory to note that the plant, machinery and construction materials required for the purpose were almost without exception Empire products. It was his earnest hope and prayer, as he formally declared open this epoch-making undertaking, that it would prove an incalculable blessing to people of all classes in this part of the Dominion and usher in a new era of prosperity, happiness and industrial progress.

Prime Minister’s Address. The next speaker was the Prime Minister, who received a warm reception on mounting to the platform of the generator. Mr Forbes said that the large crowd present had seen a very historic occasion in the turning on by the Governor-General of the power of the Waitaki Station, which should be able to supply all the requirements of the South Island for many years to come. It had often been said in regard to enterprises by the Government that they lagged behind the progress i being made by other countries, but so far as hydro-electrical development was concerned, they had always been prepared in every way possible to meet the demand and encourage development. He could also say without hesitation, and he felt sure that the Leader of the Opposition would agree with him, that so far as electric power was concerned. there had never been any division of opinion in the House or Re- : presentatives. Parliament had always I felt that it was interpreting the wish of the people of New Zealand that they | should harness the streams that con- | tained the wonderful power which