WAIHAIUI’S OPPORTUNITY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160736, 24 August 1920, Page 5

WAIHAIUI’S OPPORTUNITY.

DEVELOP HYDROELECTRICITY prospects for future EXPANSION. AN ENGINEER'S ADVICE. The proposal of the Wanganui Borough Council to go in for a. hydroelectric power scheme is creation- a good deal of interest in the Feilding aid surrounding district, which is kicking forward to this proposal, when in concrete form, to supply that district with a fair share of the current generated. Although the southern end of the district has lieon assured of a certain quantity of power from the Mangahao scheme, this amount will not prove sufficient. Auxiliary power will have to he obtained elsewhere, and until the Government scheme at Waikaremoana is completed, the Feilding district is looking to Wanganui to supply the balance of power.

A “Herald” representative while in Feilding yesterday had. an interesting chat with Mr Hubbard, electrical engineer in charge of the municipal plant there. Mr Hubbard is an enthusiast in hydro-electric matters, and in his private capacity is taking a leading part in the formation of a Power Board for that district. It will bo seen from his remarks that he strongly favours the, establishment of a hydro-electric plant in this district, and declares that it will he in the mutual interests of both for Wanganui to be in a position to be able to supply the southern district with tho power it requires.

OROUA POWER BOARD. The central authority for this proposed Power Board is the Oroua County Council, in whoso territory will be situated the sub-station at Bunuythorpo, where the Government will deliver its power for the Oroua and Rangitikei districts. The members of this local authority are unanimously enthusiastic over the proposal, and at a meeting of delegates from the surrounding local authorities to be held at Feilding early next month Mr Hubbard says he had every reason for (relieving that a Power Beard will be formed. And what is more important to Wanganui, he anticipates that at that meeting a deputation will b« appointed to wait upon the Wanganui Borough Council to confer with it and to ascertain what it intends to do in the matter of a hydroelectric scheme. He had seen Mr Crookes in Auckland in April last, and was informed that, in view of the demand from the Oroua district, there was a- probability that Wanganui might he induct d to go in for a larger scheme. After mentioning that it would take some years for Wanganui to develop up to its maximum load, he said that there would ho, until the Government schemes were linked up, an opportunity for Wanganui to dispose of its surplus power. “I would'like to see Wanganui go ahead with a water-power scheme and sell us some power,” said Mr Hubbard. “We are not going to get enough from the Government scheme after th-a first two or three years, and we will only be able to fill our requirements by linking up with Wanganui.” The proposal to form a Power Board for the districts of Wanganui and Rangitikei was mentioned to Mr Hubbard. who said that this would lit in with the proposals in his district. A certain amount of power from the Government scheme was allocated to the Rangitikei district, and it might be, if that district combined with Wanga-nui,'-(hat the Government might lie induced to sell to the lower portion oi the district, more power than it proposed to do now. Tho Oroua. Powet Board would form the connecting link between the Government end the Wanrrpnui schemes. Personally, he thought that Wanganui, if it pushed ahead with its scheme, would be in a. position io supply power sooner than the Government. A scheme under private administration could always be pushed on faster than a Government scheme. ONE OR TWO POWER BOARDSIn answer to .a question whether or not it would be better to form one largo Power Board or to have two separate” Boards for tho district between Wanganui and Bmiuythorpe, Mr Hubbard said that lie favoured the latter idea. He considered it would be better from administration and maintenance standpoints to have the two districts. Feilding was, a long way from Wanganui, and was the centre of a large district which could bo conveniently worked from that point. Roughly, the limits of the Feilding district would be Pohangina Valley on the cast, Bunnythorpo on tho south, Sandon and Bulls on the west, and Marten (possibly TuraIdna) on the north. The Main Trunk portion of the Rangitikei County and districts north of Wanganui as far as Waveidey could he easily served by tho Wanganui Power Board. A great deal of preliminary work had to be completed before a Power Board would bo in a position to commence actual construction work. After the Board had,been set up it would bc.ncccs sary to canvass each constituent district to see what demand there would be for power. Each prospective consumer would be indicated upon a large scale map, and other data regarding tho amount of power likely to be taken by each obtained. Then the engineers would be able to decide upon the' routes and tho capacity of the wires for each, and would then be in a position to pre-v pare plans and specifications. Then there would be several months’ delay before tenders were called and accepted and a start "made with the work. Reverting back to the local scheme, Mr Hubbard remarked that if cither Wanganui or tho Government could give some approximate date as to when tho power from their schemes would bo available, the southern Power Boards would know bettor what to do. Mr Hubbard was confident that Power Boards would ho able to r akc successes of their ventures. He quoted tho example of the Thames Valley Power Board, where the result of a house-to-house canvass throughout the trict had been very successful. There were three counties included, and the. revenue from electricity sold to farmers alone was estimated to produce over J46.000 per year The Feilding district aud a large portion of the Wanganui district was dairying country, and ho anticipated obtaining a large revenue from milking plants, as# well as from other farmers’ requirements. Ho suggested that when the canvass of the district was being made for the petition to form a Power Board tho canvass for prospective consumers should bo made at the same time. Tho farmers and residents by signing up for a supply would not be necessarily pledged to take the current when available, but they could he assured, in the eveat of

refusal to do so, that any future application by them would be dealt with after all previous applicants had boon supplied. In this way Mr Hubbard thought that practically the whole, efr those who were prepared to take < !ectri(£ power would be linked up from tha start. It would take some time to'acquire the maximum load, hut it would come quicker than was anticipated, Ho quoted Feilding as an example. When the plant was first installed there even the most optimistic thought that tho Council would not obtain more than 4-00 consumers. But tho plant installed was soon running at its maximum capacity, and applications for more power had to ho shut out. Additional plant was obtained, and now it is approaching its maximum capacity, and more plant will shortly have to bo installed, unless power from one of the hydro-electric schemes is obtained. The number of consumers now is apiiroaching £OO. PROMOTIN'! INDT, STRY.

“Wanganui is going to be a big industrial centre in the future," said Air Hubbard. Continuing, he said that the time tad arrived when New Zealand should maiiufact ii'e its own raw materials, instead of sending them abroad to bo manufactured. Wages in England now were much the same as those paid here, and the only requirements wore cheap power and inoie labour. Tho former wan available to he made use of, while the latter vould be attracted to the country as industries expanded. Wanganui had l>eeu very slow in the past so far an developing electricity was concerned. There were only two problems to ho solved before the town would be in a splendid position to expand its industries; tho supply of cheap power and improving the harbour. Wanganui's geographical position was excel* lent.

The demand upon electric current wall not constant; there were certain times when it was greater than others. As the supply from the power-house or substation would he constant for the 2t hour's of the day. it would therefore bo in the interests of the administration to level up the volleys, so to apeak, by offering current at special rates to consumers who would take current when there was least demand for it. Power, therefore, could 'bo sold at very good terms to manufacturers. In order to even up its loading at the I’eilding station the Council proposed to im.tal batteries for the charging of clectncdriven motor tracks, and plans had been prepared whereby three trucks could lie charged at the one time. They could bo run into the garage at night, to liecharged at any time convenient to the power-house. “I would suggest to Wanganui that it. push on with its hydro scheme as quickly as possible,” concluded air Hubbard. Ho* added that it would bo cheaper to instal a larger plant than requirements warranted at first, for additions were always expensive matters, and while the load was being built up additional revenue could always Is? obtained by selling power to outeido todies.