WAITEMATA ELECTRICITY

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 28 February 1927, Page 12

WAITEMATA ELECTRICITY

-JO EAST COAST BAYS. MATTER; TAKEN UP ENERGETICALLY. "CANVASS ■ FOR CONSUMERS. The bays along the East Coast beyond Takapuna are yearly increasing in popularity: as summer resorts, and considerable 1 expansion recently has been noticeable.

The appreciable addition in the number of : residences has been responsible for the clamour for ' the introduction of electricity to those settlements. Recently the Waitemata Power Board authorised an extension from Milford to Castor Bay, poles for which are to be delivered this week. The continuation of the electric lines to supply Campbell's, Murray's, and Brown's Bays, was estimated to cost £5500, and was dependent on the result of the canvass, a minimum annual revenue of £800 being required to take the line to Brown's Bay, and approximately £900 if Deep Creek was included.

The matter was advanced on • Saturday ' evening at Brown's Bay, where a public . meeting, presided over by Mr. H. Jacobs, was addressed by Messrs. J. W. Hayden (chairman), H. Day, and A. E. Greenslade,: members of the Waitemata' Power Board.

Mr. -W. E. Bromley Smith, the board's commercial agent, - stated that the canvass at Campbell's Bay had justified extension, but so far was not successful at Murray's and Brown's Bays, where he had not been able to. get in touch with the • actual property owners. Consequently, his report had been withheld •mjtil the -whole of those concerned could be. interviewed.

'Mr. Hay den said there were, over 500 houses at the three, bays, 270 being at Brown's Bay. The Power Board would supply electricity so long as the extension.paid .its way."-.lt was-usual to ask for a three years'. guarantee of the minimum revenue required, but the Board recognised that once electricity was brought into that area, there was no chance of it ; going .back..- On the contrary, the district frould grow rapidly. ' The advent • of electricity would add 20 per cent, to the value of the properties there. Several? questions'were also answered. 5 A committee, representative of the four bays, : and comprising Miss S. E. Hawkins, Messrs. fi. Jacobs, E. Nyberg (Brown's-Bay), C. Wheeler (Murray's Bay),' D. A. Moore, ; W. Stemson (Deep Creek) ./and W. Bowsie (Campbell's Bky) ; was appointed to-, further canvass the area'.for- consumers.' The opinion was confidently voiced' that, the response to-the' effort "to'be 1 made -would result in guaranteed revenue being obtained to justify the. extension as far as Deep Creek. ;;