OUR MARINE BOROUGHS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 14

OUR MARINE BOROUGHS.

QUESTION OF AMALGAMATION. A NORTH SHORE POWER BOARD. ■KAIPARA OBJECTED TO. "I feel that two years afro a grievous mistake was made when the Devonport Rorough Council purchased its electric. light plant, without first giving the other . three boroughs an opportunity to con-. sider tiie matter of a North Shore power | board." said "Mr. T. Lamont, present ] "Mayor of Devonport and chairman of j the Marine Boroughs Association, at; the meeting of the latter body last evening. i Mr. Lamont was speaking on the . question of the proposed amalgamation of the four marine boroughs, and said i that if the plant had not been bought at the time the North Phore might have had its own power board now. He very much regretted the purchase of the plant, and was of tbe opinion that if they had gone to Parliament, with their total population of 21,000, they would have secured the power board | with Kaipara as an outer area. "Mr. E. Aldridge mentioned that in last night's "Star" there appeared a statement made by tho Minister of Public Works, the lion. J. G. Coates, to the effect that he had refused to | consent to the four marine suburbs joining with the Auckland Electric Power Hoard for the supply of electricity, and to their forming a "Waitemata Power Board. However, the Minister had offered a supply of electricity conditional upon the North Shore coming in with the Kaipara Bower Board. It was a case of the tail wagging the dog. Mr. J. B. Tonar (Northcote Borough Council) said with reference to the chairman's remarks about the purchase of the plant by the Devonport Council two years ago, that Devonport had kept Northcote waiting and would not give them a definite answer. The chairman said that Devonport only had enough power for their own requirements until two months ago, and their present facility to cope with their j load was only made by means of borrowed plant. He had fought the mayoral election on the purchase of the plant by Devonport. He was sure that a great many Devonport residents now realised the mistake that had been made in not calling the other three boroughs together and forming a North i Shore Power Board. Only recently he telegraphed the Minister of Public "Works, asking him on what terms and conditions Devonport could obtain power. The Minister replied stating that Devonport could not get power, and advised that they should link up with Kaipara. A member: It seems to mc that Mr. Coates is getting a bit of his own in for Kaipara. You know he comes from there. After further discussion it was resolved that members should ask their respective councils to consider the matter further in all its hearings, having in view joint action for the supply of electric energy. V