ELECTRICITY FOR FARMERS.

West Coast Times, 18 June 1912, Page 1

ELECTRICITY FOR FARMERS.

REPORT BEING PREPARED BY ME

PARRY. ■ SHOULD BE AVAILABLE NEXT SESSION. CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 14. The question raised by the President of the A. and P. Association at Wednesday’s meeting of the Committee of the Association, with reference to farmers participating in the benefits of the Lake Coleridge electrical scheme was referred to the Hon, V • D. S. Macdonald to-day by a “Press” reporter. Mr. Macdonald said that Mr. E. Parry ,the Government hydro expert, was going into the whole question throughout New Zealand,, and when lie furnished: his report, the Government would be able to tell exactly what might be done in the way of giving power to farmers throughout the country. Mr. Macdonald said ho had discussed the Waikaremoana, the great North Island scheme, with Mr. Parry. Mr. Parry had not yet finished his report on the matter, but ho was convinced that so far as Hanke’s Bay and Wellington were concerned, that Waikaremoana would be able to furnish power to the whole of the Hawke’s Bay and Wellington districts. Ot course, the Waikaremoana. scheme was bigger than the Coleridge one, The power generated by it would be practically unlimited, and there would be the only expense of transmitting it. However, in tho North Island, Mr. Parry was making an investigation ot every probable scheme for the supplythe whole of the North Island, and then, of course, there would be the question of whether it would bo better to generate the power from one large scheme, of which Lake Waikaremoana would be the possible centre, or to develop some of tho smaller schemes. In connection with the Lake Coleridge scheme, Mr. Parry was at the present time working out his investigations connected with the supply of current to Christchurch and other towns and no doubt, should the Government receive applications from the farming districts asking to be supplied with power, the question should bo dealtwith, Wo haven’t,’ ’said Mr. Macdonald, “gone into the question altogether for supplying'tho whole of tho fanning community with electricity, but I hope to have a report to submit to Parliament during tho coming session, which will give an indication of what Mr. Parry considers can bo done in connection with the supply of power, both for the towns and the country districts.