SALE OF POWER.

Wairarapa Age, 15 August 1928, Page 5

SALE OF POWER.

WAIRARAPA BOARD LOOKING FOR BUSINESS. MANGAHAO & WAIKAREMOANA. Some brief* references were made at the meeting of the Wairarapa Power Board yesterday to the position of the Mangahao power station, and to the complaints on the subject that were being made in Wellington. It was observed, however, that the quantity of power obtained by the Wairarapa board from Mangahao had not been reduced. The Secretary-Manager said that 20,000 k.v.a. would be! available from Waikaremoana in December next, and a further 20,000 in June of next year. Nearly twice as much power would then be available from Waikaremoana as from Mangahao. Later in the meeting, the chairman <Mr. J. W. Kershaw) said that there was a big possibility of Waikaremoana power being available by December next and the Finance Committee, at its meeting on the previous evening, had considered that the time might now be opportune for pushing the sale of cookers. The committee had instructed him, however, in the first place to get into touch with the engineers at Mangahao and if possible obtain a.written guarantee that power would be available from that source until the power from Waikaremoana came on. If this guarantee could be obtained, he thought they should make some concessions to push the sale of cookers. Mr. W. A. Tate: “Do you think Mangahao is in a position to guarantee the powerf”

The chairman: “We are going to find out. They are anxious to sell power and other boards are getting power largely in excess of the amount guaranteed. ’ ’ The Secretary-Manager said that • other boards were getting ahead of them. It might be worth while to offer cookers at cost price. Mr. T. V. Moore: “I would like to see what is ahead of us. They are drawing all the Wellington stand-by supply and I do not see how they can give guarantees if they have not got the goods.” The Secretary-Manager said that the -Manawatu Power Board was going ahead and getting practically double its guaranteed supply, and other boards were doing much the same. Mr. Tate: “Were they not in trouble last summer!” The Secretary-Manager: “They only cut off the water heaters.” Mr. Moore said that the Government was spending large sums in supplementmg supplies of power. The chairman observed that this might be well worth while in view of ” e ‘! at - nnwer would so s °°n be available from Waikaremoana.