More Info →MANGAHAO SWITCHED ON - Great Gathering at Shannon

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(By Telegraph)

(From our special Reporter)

Shannon, Nov .3

The town was gaily decorated with bunting and the weather for the official inaugurationof the Mangahao hydro-electric enterprise was excellent. A large crowd of over 1,000 people assembled at 10 o'clock and a special train came from Wellington conveying the Parliamentary party, the Prime Minister, the Hon. J. G. Coates, Mr Monteith (in place of Mr Holland) 4and a party of over 200 members.

The Levin Brass Band played tin National Anthem as they arrived.

The party was met at the station by the Mayor, Mr W. Murdoch, and executive of the Mangahao Celebration Committee, and citizens.

The Mayor, in a short speech, expressed pleasure at being able to welcome the Parliamentary Party this great day. Shannon had been looking forward for four years to the completion of the work, which was going to be a great, thing for the development of the district.

Mr Massey, in reply, stated that it was an equal pleasure to be there on such an important occasion. It was a big day for Shannon, but it was a big day for New. Zealand also. He was glad to see all the people of Shannon and intended to have a good time.

AT THE SCHOOL

A procession of cars formed up to convey the party to the school, where they were received by the school children singing the National Anthem. Mr Massey said he was to have the opportunity in, saying a few Words to the school children. He was glad to see that they were looking so well and happy and he hoped they were attending to their work well, obeying their teachers and making the best of their opportunities. When they grew up land left school they would look back and know that their school days were the best that they had experienced. He had been in London recently and had met the Prince of Wales, who had asked him how the school children of New Zealand were. The Prince had stated that nowhere had he seen such fine boys and girls, as in New Zealand. (Cheers.) He would ask them to make the best of their opportunities and always do their best and play the game, and so doing, fit themselves for the great battle of life and make good citizens.

AT THE POWER HOUSE

Three cheers were given for Mr Massey and the Parliamentary Party left by car for Mangaore, where they were met by the officers of the Public Works Department. The crowd here numbered 1500 people.

Following an examination of the power house, Mr Massey was introduced by Mr J. Linklater, M. P., for the district, and addressed the gathering from the gallery in front of the building. Mr Massey said he felt that, in the first place he should thank the Minister for Public Works and the Public Wourks Department for the invitation to come and open Mangahao. He would like to congratulate the people of the district in having such, fine works in their midst (and on the fact that shortly the whole country would be electrified. A point he would like to impress on them was that Mangahao was one of the most important works in the electrification of the North Island. This was a fact that must be kept in mind when the cost was taken into consideration. It was only a short time ago that he went down to open the Otira tunnel. This was being run by electricity. Lake Coleridge was now operating and making a great improvement in living conditions in the South Island. It was now proving inadequate and would have to be enlarged. Lake Waikare-moana scheme was to he started in the near future. Arapuni was now in progress and the time would come when every industry and every home in New Zealand would be electrified. In regard to Horahora it had been started by the Haihi Gold Mining Co., when the Waihi Mine began to fail, it was sold to the Government four years ago and had proved a tremendous success in the Witikato. Milking Machines were being operated and houses lit up and he looked forward to the time when every house in the Dominion would be lit by electricity and every industry operated by it. (Applause). He would quote from one of the Hebrew prophets of 4000 years ago: "The chariots jostle each other in the streets and run like lightning.” If this did not apply to electricity he did not know to what It applied. (Laughter and applause).

TRIBUTE TO BRAVE MEN

The Minister for Public Works, Mr. Coates, said that the Power housewould turn out about 24,00 horse power. The head works, including the power house, cost £1,000,000 and the transmission line would cost another £1,000,000. Of this £400,000 would later be charged to other schemes, notably Waikare-moana. The Government's policy was that, if the people would take the power, they would construct the works. He had to thank Mr as Minister of Finance for his generosity to him in regard hydro-electricity. It had been said that the scheme had cost too much and that private companies could have done the business cheaper. He did not think so and a further point to be remembered was that if private companies had been brought in only the thickly populated parts of the country would be tupplied. The policy of the Department was to supply power to every person in the country – the back block farmer as well as the city dweller. He had to thank Mr H for the interest taken in the scheme. He was the first man to take an interest in hydro-electricity in this district. Mr Kissel had come in later and that fine old man, Sir William Fraser, had at his age, visited Mangahao and always advocated it as necessary to the electrification of New Zealand. The work had not been done without tragedy. Seven lives had, been lost in the great accident and two others as well. It was the intention of his Department to erect a tablet on the power house to commemorate the fact that these men had upheld the best traditions of the race. It was only fitting that they should be remembered. Finally he would ask the Power Boards to get on with their reticulation. He paid a tribute to the engineers and staff. All they asked was that the country give its credit for money for development and if the Power Board would now do their part and connect up the consumers everything would be as should be. (Applause).

Mr Kissel then presented Mr Massey with a gold key and Mr Murdoch presented Mr Coates with a silver cigarette case as a momento of the occasion.

Mr Massey then proceeded to turn on the power.

THE CURRENT IN LEVIN

The Mangahao power was switched through the Horowhenua district, reaching Levin at 12.52, p.m., immediately the Prime Minister had done his part at Mangaore.

THE TOTAL COST - TWO MILLION POUNDS,.

(From our Special Reporter.)

SHANNON, Nov. 3.

Your representative was officially informed this morning that the total cost of the Mangahao scheme, including the main transmission line was £2,000,000, of this £400,000 (cost of transmission lines) will later be charged to the Waikare-moana scheme.

Identification

Date

November 3, 1924