POWER FOR RURAL AREAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 9

POWER FOR RURAL AREAS.

i tTCKUAND BOARD * 5 DISCUSSION. PAfvURANGA NOT TO BE SERVED AT PRESENT. An interesting discussion on the supply of electricity to outlying country districts took place at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Power Board.

A petition was received some time ago from residents at Pakuranga urging the extension of the line, but the general manager (Mr. R. H. Bartley) reported that for an expenditure of approximately £3000 the revenue was estimated not to exceed £83 per annum. He therefore recommended that the time was not opportune to carry out the work. The requirements of the board are at least £240 per annum to cover interest charges on the capital cost.

The chairman (Mr. \V. J. Holdsworth), said the board was already committed to a £20,000 scheme (Papakura to Clevedon supply}, on which they would not receive an adequate return, and he did not think it would be wise to still further increase their liabilities at present.

Mr. F. M. Waters said it was the original scheme of the Government that the outlying areas should be served whenever possible. It must not be forgotten that if power users in the country could not get electricity it meant more money going to America for benzine and appliances.

To this the chairman replied that a board which did not work on sound commercial lines was absolutely "up against it." As a matter of fact they had been badly let down by the Government in regard to the Arapuni supply, which would not be available until three years after the date originally promised. The Government could not expect them to run at a loss.

Mr. Potter said the board had a much larger return from many outside areas than was at first expected, and they could not say what the financial aspect would be until the supply had been instituted for some time. The fact that the Arapuni supply was overdue did not affect the case very much. A good many concerns had not been finished at the time expected, the Suez Canal, for instance.

Mr. Bloodworth: We don't supply the Suez Canal, do we? (Laughter.)

Mr. R. H. Bartley, the general manager, undertook to supply full details as to the cost of supply and estimated receipts from country areas, and there the matter rests for the present. Street Lighting Progress. It was reported that during the week the service gangs connected 82 overhead services and erected 15 poles and 9100 yards of cable. In the reinforcing of lines in Point Chevalier area—about the Great North Road—lß poles and 1740 yards of cable were erected.

In the Taylor's Road and St. Luke's Road area, 3000 yards of cable were erected and services balanced up on the new mains. Queenstown Road and Ngamata Road lines have been extended, 13 poles and 1920 yards of cable being erected.

The following additional street lights were erected and put into service:— Dominion Road 1, Rawhiti Road 1, Fowld's Avenue 1, Ridge Road 8. 5280 yards of cable were erected.