MORE ELECTRICITY

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3667, 13 February 1940, Page 3

MORE ELECTRICITY

EVER-INCREASING DEMAND

INVESTIGATION BY MINISTER With tlie ever increasing demand for electricity, and the investigation that has been carried out at Karapiro, it is interesting to hear some indication of the attitude of the Government to the position. Mr W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., recently directed the attention of the Minister of Public Works to the possibility of tapping the neverfailing stream at the Marakopa Falls, in the Southern Kawhia district. He has now received the following reply from the Hon. R. Semple: “I am in. receipt of your letter dated January 22nd, in which you suggest for my consideration the

establishment of hydro-electric plants at some of the smaller and less conspicuous falls, and in this connection advance Marakopa as one where hydro-electric development could be carried out economically. “The question of harnessing water supplies for the creation of electrical energy to meet the everincreasing demand has been, one that has exercised the minds of my departmental officers for some considerable time past, and their investigations in tliis direction have been particularly thorough. “With the demand for electricity increasing at the rate it has been over the last few years, it becomes necessary to look for larger sources of immediate supply of energy than Marakopa. Nevertheless, your suggestion will be borne in mind, and if this source of supply has not been investigated already, no doubt it will be in the near future.”