D.—l

52

Considerable difficulty has been found in maintaining the staff for survey purposes, and we have at present only one survey party at work, whereas there should be three or four, with corresponding office staff, in order to carry out the work expeditiously; but under present conditions it is found impossible to keep the parties together for long, and we have to be content with slower progress. As regards the order of development, Waikaremoana scheme should be deferred for the present. The development of this source should, to my mind, be made dependent upon the construction of the Napier—Gisborne Railway. The railway should open up a better road for the transmission-lines and render them more accessible for the construction and maintenance. At present -this country is most difficult, especially from a maintenance point of view. There is every reason also in favour of operating this railway electrically. The Auckland and Wellington schemes should proceed simultaneously. The work in connection with the latter, however, is more advanced, and if labour is obtainable, which is very doubtful, the headworks could be put in hand at once and prepared in readiness for machinery and pipe-lines, which, however, could not be obtained during the continuance of the war. A beginning could be made perhaps by constructing roadways for access to the headworks. The schemes outlined above provide for the need of the more settled portions of the country, and inaugurates a general scheme of distribution which will in course of time embrace the whole country. E. Parry, Chief Electrical Engineei.

Authority : Marcus F. Marks, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9l7,

Price Is. 3d ]