WAITAKI SCHEME

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19942, 29 October 1934, Page 11

WAITAKI SCHEME

OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY (CONTINUED) would enable big things to be done. Those who had been associated with the schemes which had already been put in hand had shown wholehearted enthusiasm in regard to the Waitaki, which they had considered should be harnessed at the earliest possible moment. Mr Forbes said that with the completion of the Waitaki scheme, they could say that they had now finished the last of the national schemes of hydro-electrical development, and that any development in the future would be of a local character. The Government felt that following the turning on of the Waitaki power, the next Job was to encourage the people of the South Island to make the fullest use of the energy available. In that respect the growth of the use of electricity had been most encouraging indeed. Throughout the depression the growth of the use of current had been steady, and he believed that it would not be long before the period of depression would have passed, and then with all the preparations they had made, and with the equipment they had available, they would be able to meet the demand for electricity. He was certain that this would come, because New Zealand was a progressive country, and one which had been more favoured by Nature than any other in the world.

Power in Industry. Mr Forbes went on to illustrate the rapid utilisation of electricity during the last few years, particularly in regard to manufacturing industries, which previously had had to rely on steam power. To-day electricity had overtaken all the other sources of power. In 1927, the amount of electricity used in industry had increased by 24 per cent, as against 6 per cent, by steam, and now industry was using 139,000 h.p. of electricity as against 134,000 h.p. by steam, so it would be seen that electricity had overtaken its competitor. The Prime Minister said that the building they were in contained provision for three more generators, and when the demand warranted it, these would be installed. They looked forward to the time when manufacturing industries would spring up and so create a demand for power, and he was sure that the energy, enthusiasm and initiative of the people would enable the power to be used to the fullest extent. Mr Forbes said that as a New Zealander he was particularly proud to be present at the function that day. Those present had only to look round to see what had been done, and they would realise how proud the Government [Were of the men who had conceived the scheme and had carried it through, and also of those who had done the pick and shovel work, thus enabling the huge undertaking to be successfully accomplished. As Prime Minister, he would say- that it was something they might well be proud of.

A Wonderful Job. Mr M. J. Savage, Leader of the Opposition, said that the ceremony marked another milestone ill the history of man’s mastery the forces of Nature in this Dominion. It remained to be seen whether or not man would maintain that mastery, and make available to the rank and file of the people, the benefits of the machine and science, or whether these modern processes were to continue to multiply production, and at the same time destroy the market in which the products of industry should be sold. They needed more than stored up electric energy; they needed some plan by which that wonderful servant of mankind might be harnessed to modern machinery for the plumose of producing the essentials which constituted a high standard of living for the people. If they failed in making plans which would ensure that the benefits of these modern processes would find their way to the homes of the people, all the results of the tireless efforts of the scientist and the inventor would have missed their Mr Savage congratulated engineers and workmen alike on the wonderful job they had done and the -wonderful power they had made available to the people, and he trusted that a grateful country would see to it that the engineers and workmen who had made the enterprise possible would not spend the remainder of their days working under relief conditions; that they would r.ot want in the evening of their lives. He expressed appreciation to those who had been responsible for the great undertaking, for it was something they had every reason to be proud of. What the great British airman, C. W. A. Scott, had accomplished a few days ago on the flight from Mildenhall to Melbourne had been to a large extent carried out by the engineers at Waitaki, and the only thing that remained was to see that the rank and fill were permitted to enjoy its benefits.

Power Boards’ Association Mr J. A. Nash thanked the Minister of Public Works on behalf of the Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association for giving him the opportunity of speaking at the function. His association had watched with interest the completion of the work, and they looked forward to the day when the North and South Island would be linked up giving a never failing supply of electric power. The association he represented was formed in 1922, the sole object being to join hands with the Government and the Department in supplying light and power to the people of New Zealand. They started the association with a membership of 23 and to-day they had no less than 25 Board and Supply authorities connected with it.. To-day an effort was being made to establish a secretariat, so as to keep Boards and Supply Authorities fully informed as to the best methods of supplying light and power at the lowest possible price. They had associated with their association, the Engineers and Secretaries Associations, and both were doing valuable work in tendering help and advice to the Association. They could say that the characteristic feature in the development of electricity in the 20th century had been the world wide development of such national and regional schemes of electrical power generation and transmission. It might be of interest, therefore, to confine one’s remarks to the development and organisation of this outstanding public utility. It was over 50 years since Edison and others demonstrated the practicability of the generation of electricity, and of its delivery to consumers. But in the years immediately following, electricity could not be transported any distance, and had to be produced in the immediate neighbourhood of its consumption. For this reason electric service was confined to small parts of large cities. This resulted, as they all knew in New Zealand. in the erection of a number of small isolated power stations, independent in character and conducted by local enterprise. At the beginning of the century, the practicability of the commercial transmission of electric power to points at considerable distances was conclusively proved. Since then the voltage at which electricity

could be transported had been steadily increased, and the radius had been proportionally lengthened. It had made possible the utilisation of water powers located at considerable distance from the centres where the electricity was to be used. Mr Nash said that in New Zealand as in most of the new countries, the door to electrical development had been open from the outset. The primary need was, of course, capital, and the expenditure had of necessity been undertaken by the State. There could be no doubt that the development of New Zealand’s resources of hydro electric energy v<)as a justifiable economic proceeding, and that it had been good business to proceed with the development by raising loans abroad. The Dominion’s system had been well planned and the engineers were to be congratulated. The stations had been so placed as to give the necessary supply of current from Arapuni, Waikaremoana and Mangahao all linked up in the North Island, and with Lake Coleridge to-day, they were completingthe most important step in the South Island scheme. Their main hopes in the undertaking was the supply of cheap power to the farmer, but the cost of reticulating, especially in scattered areas, had been very heavy. Many complaints had been made, but they should not be discouraged. The farmer, like the city man, would come into his own. and. they must not lose sight of the original aims in establishing their national system. One thing certain, the ultimate possibilities for the use of electricity in agriculture had never been realised, and the time must come when electricity would receive widespread application to agriculture. The farmer’s wife well knew that it would eliminate much of the drudgery on the farm, and the farmer would find that it would increase his efficiency. He could only repeat that its future in agriculture depended upon the use to which it could be put. The more users, the greater its possibilities, the greater the amount of energy used, the greater the benefits following in the wake of its service. Electricity had definitely ushered in i new age in economic and social development. The part it must play in New Zealand had not yet been realised, but they all knew that it offered scope for enterprise, for the investment of capital, for the employment of labour, and things which could not be estimated without appearance of exaggeration. Mr Nash joined with other speakers in extending congratulations on the completion of such a fine scheme.

Minister of Public Works. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. Bitchener, said that it gave him very great pleasure to be present, in the first place, because the work was located in his own electorate r.ncl on the Waitaki River, a stream which he had known and for which he had had the greatest respect for a large number of years. One could not have lived within a few miles of this great river without feeling that in its rushing streams there had been great sources of power running to waste. As Minister of Public Works, he could not but feel proud that under his administration, and with the organisation and resources of the Public Works Department which it was his good fortune to control, the waters of the Waitaki were being utilised for the benefit of the people of Canterbury and Otago. It had been his good fortune to be associated with the work at the most spectacular time, whilst the great dam was being completed and the plant was being put into profitable use. The Government throughout had always been of opinion that these hydro-elec-tric works were amongst the most important developmental works in the Dominion, and in consequence had found the ways and means to carry them on, although at times their resources have been sorely pressed to find the necessary finance. Though the large attendance might be taken as an indication of the country’s confidence in the Government and its appreciation of the work being done by it to provide supplies of electricity throughout the country, it was also, he believed, a tribute to the skill and work of the Department’s engineers and workmen who had brought this work to a successful conclusion. To these men he desired to express his appreciation and thanks for the way they had stuck to their job, despite many difficulties, and to congratulate them on the successful completion of their work. The work was essentially one for co-operation and team work, and all from the highest official to the humblest workman had played their part. He felt that he must specially mention at least some of the many able engineers and others who had been particularly connected with the work. In the first place there were the present Engineer-in-Chief and Under-Secretary, Mr C. J. McKenzie,, and Mr F. W. Furkert, who occupied the same position during the earlier stages of the work. Then there were the Chief Electrical Engineer, Mr F. T. M. Kissel, who, as head of the HydroElectric Branch of the Department, had probably more than any other been responsible for the selection, design and general supervision of this particular work, with his first assistant, Mr A. Gavey. To his assistants, Mr G. F. Anderson for survey and civil design work, and Mr E. C. Creagh for building and electrical design work, he was sure everyone would agree that a word of praise was due.

Mr Packwood Praised. As to the men actually located on the work, he must in particular mention Mr R. H. Packwood, the District Engineer in local charge, who had seen it through from the commencement to its completion. He had shown energy, enterprise and engineering skill to a marked degree, and the building of this great dam across the Waitaki River would always remain a monument to his work ns a New Zealand engineer. Quite recently the Government had seen fit to express its appreciation to Mr Packwood for the wonderful work he had done. Mr Bitchener went on to say that he had also to mention Mr L. S. Payne, Resident Electrical Engineer, and Mr W. H. G. Watson, the power station superintendent under whose direction the complicated machinery, switchgear and transmission lines had been completed. Then again, there were the assistant engineers who had had charge of special sections of the work, of whom he particularly mentioned Mr McEnnis, Mr Christie, Mr Alecock, Mr Carter and Mr Southern. There were the overseers and the clerical staff: they have all played their part, and played it well. Beyond all these, however, nothing could have been done without the workmen themselves, and to those men he wished to pay a particular tribute. They had worked well under conditions that in many cases were difficult and uncomfortable, but on the various occasions on which he had visited the works he had been impressed with the interest they had shown in the work. He felt sure that equally with the highest engineer these men felt that this work was theirs, and that they would continue to maintain an interest in its successful operation even after they might have passed on to fresh activities elsewhere.

Welfare Work. Mention must also be made of the excellent work done by the Y.M.C.A. in a camp of this size—at one stage over 1,000 men were employed—and in a locality such as this some facilities for the occupation of leisure time were

essential. These facilities had been provided in an admirable manner by the Y.M.C.A., and its activities on this great job had been of tremendous assistance not only to the Department but to the men themselves. As the representative of the Y.M.C.A. at Waitaki, Mr R. J. Jeffs had proved himself energetic and helpful to the highest degree, and his tactful handling of his position had made him a friend of all the men with whom he had been so closely associated. To Mr Jeffs personally he tendered his grateful thanks. He wished also to pay some tribute to the various contractors who had supplied plant and material in connection with the work. The whole of the cement used in the work had been manufactured in the Dominion. By far the greater part of the machinery in the power station was of British manufacture.”

Mr Bitchener concluded: “With you now rests much of the responsibility of seeing that the work is to be a real success. The Government, the engineers, the workmen, the contractors, have each done their part and the work can go into operation. You can help by using the power now made available, and you can help by advising your friends and your acquaintances to do the same. You can assist by making it known that we have here at Waitaki one of the greatest power schemes in this Dominion. It is located in one of the most favoured parts of the Dominion. It can supply power, for manufacturers; it can supply power for all the varied purposes for which electricity is so very suited. Make this fact known and the success which has so far been achieved in completing the work, will become still more pronounced when it has been fully loaded and is really fulfilling the purpose for which it has been created.” At the conclusion of the speeches, the official visitors were entertained at afternoon tea.