HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160796, 2 November 1920, Page 2

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

PROGRESS AT MANGAHAO, AJ the meeting: of the Chamber of Commerce last night a report was received from tho Mangahao HydroElectrio League regarding The progress of the work at Mangahao. With regard to labour, the League stated that a sufficient supply was available and the works were fully manned for the present, about 17-0 men being employed. These were well accommodated, very few being in ordinary tents, the great/ majority living in wooden huts or tenfs with wooden floors and boarded sides. With regard to work, the ■ report stated; “It may’ now be said that all; the preliminary works necessary for the* carrying out of the undertaking are practically'' completed, and the actual - worjr of construction is now in hand. The weather has been very adverse during the last few months, but in spite of that , steady progress has been made, and we feel sure • that if the works are not completed within the time • originally specified it will not be the fault of the staff.” ’■ Mr A. Harris said that, he considered ■ this district had been served “dirty” with regard to Mangahao. ( The district had pressed the Minister for an allocation of power, and was assured up till recently that there would he power available for Wanganui. Now the Minister, a new one, had definitely stated that there was no power available for Wanganui. Mr Harris said that there was a suggestion that there would be current .available from the , Waikaremoana scheme, bu this would not be so. The source of supply was 175 mile's from Wanganui, and it was proposed to develop only 8000 or 10,00Q horsepower, which woqid be used to supply \Wairoa, Napier, and Gisborne,, There wkre many places en route, and by the time Wanganui, was reached there would not be much' current available. So it coul'd be safely assumed that there would be no power available for Wan-, ganui from Waikareihoana until the big scheme had been developed, and that would not: be for- many years to come. He thought that the present move was due to political pressure. The Government, up till this session, had stated that beyond Arapurt- no other scheme would be developed in the North Island except Mangahao, and now the .Government had gone back on its previous decision. He considered that the only' thing Wanganui could do was to get busy and develop its own source of power, and \ the quicker the community realised this the quicker would it .obtain its hydro-electricity. •.