ELECTRIC WIRING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 65, 18 March 1930, Page 5

ELECTRIC WIRING.

ADMINISTRATION OF ACT. PROTEST OVER CHARGES. ACTION BY POWER BOARD. Complaining that it lias no control over expenditure made by the Government in connection with the Electrical Wiremen's Registration Act, the Auckland Electric Power Board is paying an amount of £199 levied on it by the Public Works Department to meet expenses under the Act under protest. It has also been decided to refer the whole matter of the administration of the Act to the Power Boards Association for discussion. Referring to the charge levied by the Department as the board's proportion towards the annual expenditure in connection with the Act, the general manager of the board, Mr. R. H. Bartley, stated at yesterday's meeting that he had received a statement of income and expenditure relative to the matter from the Under-secretary of Public Works, Mr. P. W. Furkett. The total expenditure was shown as £2140, and the income £942, leaving a balance of £1198 to be collected from the supply authorities. The board's proportion of the amount was £199, assessed on the gross revenue earned by each board.

"Absolutely Wrong." "After further consideration it appears to me that the board lias no other course than to pay this amount," added Mr. Bartley, "but I must admit that it seems to me to be absolutely wrong that costs of this sort can be incurred and charged to supply authorities who have no control whatever over this expenditure. I can only repeat that it is a matter which should be dealt with by the Power Boards' Association. I would recommend that the board adhere to the principle that charges of this nature be met in the ordinary way out of a'common fund or, failing this, the income be made to balance the expenditure. It is not so much the actual amount this board is asked to meet on this occasion. But it has no guarantee of what it will be in the future, and I think the board will agree that tlie'matter is not sound in principle." Mr. W. J. Holdsworth (chairman) urged that the mrttter should be taken up by the Power Boards' Association, as it was not right that supply authorities should be asked to pay sums asked of them when tliey had no control over the amounts spent. Mr.' E. H. Potter said receipts from t.ho trade .and wiremen should be sufficient to meet all expenses in connection with the Act. Mr. Holdsworth explained that only one power board representative was on the board administering the Act, and he was selected by the Government. Mr. F. M. Waters, in view of these circumstances, thought that the boards should have a. majority on the committee, as they had to pay practically all the expenses.