POWER BOARD POLICY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 4

POWER BOARD POLICY.

The Auckland Electric Power Board at its meeting yesterday dealt finally! with two matters of importance thati formed part of the order of reference on which Mr. Butters reported to the Board. Very rightly, we think, it wag decided to establish central offices and showrooms and abandon tne earlier proposal to concentrate entirely on the site adjoining the King's wharf. The business of the Board is to promote the sale of current to the fullest extent, and offices situated in a somewhat isolated position would necessarily prove a grave handicap in dealing with and satisfying thousands of individual customers. More difficult to understand are the grounds on which the Board ignored the recommendation of the report in the matter of acquiring from the Harbour Board an additional area adjoining the existing power station. The rental involved will be fl2oo per annum. Mr. Butters' recommendation in thie matter was that the Board should "re-cast its proposals as to general and coal storage nrrangementa, a sub-station, etc., so as to reduce the amount of new land to be leased from the Harbour Board to a minimum." In arriving at this decision, with which was involved the office site, the framer of the report remarks that :as the Board has tentatively approved iof tbe lease "I have not therefore come tv tin- opposite view lightly." Mr. Butters would appear to indicate that the existing area if economically and fully utilised would provide udequate room for the Board's operation*. At an opposite view has been taken by the engineer- ! in-eharge and the Hoard, we trust that the view expressed in the report will

not he lost sight of and that no structure will be erected on the leased land that will render the sale of the' lease difficult should it be found later that the area ie not essential to tfflficient working. The Board's finances should not be burdened with a payment of tl2()0 a year without very adequate justification.