WORKSHOPS FOR FRANKTON

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14264, 15 January 1920, Page 5

WORKSHOPS FOR FRANKTON

B!G BUILDING SCHEME. BY THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. FIFTY WORKERS' DWELLINGS. There is a strong probability, if the Hamilton Borough Council can supply the necessary electric power, that the Railway Department will erect largo workshops at Prankton. The Council has been approached on the matter, and last night a letter was read at a meeting of that body from the officer in charge of architectural branch of the Department to the effect that he was authorised to state that the Department would undertake to erect workshops at Frankton and equip them with machinery, driven by electric motors using current sunplicd by the Council, vided a definite undertaking was given to supply sufficient current to meet the Department's requirements. The amount would be up to, say 120 h.p., at a charge not exceeding 2d per unit for daylight load on the alternating current system, which v.ould necessitate no alteration In their plant when the Government electrical supply was substituted. On such substitution ths charge ner unit would require to be materially decreased, in the same proportion as the charge of 2d bore to the present rates. The letter went on to state that the shops al Frankton would necessitate the erection of a considerable number of houses for workmen—probably about 50, of five rooms each, and electric light would also be required for these. The erection of the shops would be started once the question of power was settled. It was anticipated that they would take at least three months to erect and equip.

Mr G. T. Wilson, borough electrical engineer, said he had made hurried enquiries, and hail ascertained that the Council could procure additional plant, capable of generating 400 h.p., . from Australia at about £IOOO below cost, The plant was practictally new and had been installed by a Government department to meet war contingencies. This would have nothing- to do with the stand-by plant which had previously come under discussion by the Council. He thought an option should be secured over the machinery for one month, and that the Council should nroceed to raise a loan of £IO.OOO for its purchase and installation. The Railway Department made it c]rv. added the speaker, that unless the Council could truaranfee Hie power required they would no' go nn with the buildinc scheme. The Denartment had also Ohakune in min.' as a site for the new works. Unless the Council procured the additional plant it could not supply the power asked for.

Cr. Barton said the threat, as it were, to erect the workshops somewhere else jf the Council did not give this guarantee weighed not one iota with him. If the Department wanted workshops at Frankton it would put them there.

The Council decided to secure a month's option over the plant and to hold a special meeting some night next week to go fully into the question.