POWER BOARD'S LOSS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1931, Page 18

POWER BOARD'S LOSS.

DAMAGE AT HAWKE'S BAY. MOST LINES AGAIN WORKING. . "MAIN TROUBLE IS FINANCE." Ninety per cent of the lines of the Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board are once again in service. Interesting details of the earthquake damage were contained in a letter received at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Power Board. The store building was destroyed by fire, with all the material except lorries, and the office building was badly damaged. The three freezing works taking bulk supply were ■all out of commission, but one of them started operations on March 30. Three 1500 k.v.a. single-phase transformers at Redcliffe fell over, the fourth jumping from its bed. These were all brought back into commission before the end of March. "Our main trouble now is finance," wrote the board's secretary. "Our retail supply is confined to the country, only the two towns, Napier and Hastings, purchasing current in bulk and retailing the current themselves. The retail consumers have had a very bad year through drought, low prices and the general depression, followed by the earthquake disaster." Damage to the store building was estimated at £1800; to the office building, £1000; to material, £9323; the cost of burnt instruments was £1174; the estimated cost of repairs to lines was £3690; the estimated net loss of revenue account for the year ending March, 1931, was £3906; and the estimated net loss on the revenue account to March, 1932, was £7930—a grand total of £28,823. The accumulated balance in the net revenue account at March 31, 1930, stated the letter, was £5096, which was the extent of the board's reserves. It was possible only by rigid economy to prevent showing a loss each year, and without having the earthquake to contend with the account would have shown a profit this year of not more than £250. Representations had been made to the Government for a grant, as any assistance given to the board amounted to a grant to the whole district, and might be the means of preventing the striking of a rate. The board had not yet collected a rate, and to be compelled to do so now would mean placing an additional burden on the settlers, who had already suffered severe loss. "Any assistance your board could give towards influencing the Government to make grants to local bodies in the area would be very much appreciated," added the letter. The chairman of the Auckland Board (Mr. W. J. Holds worth) recalled that immediately after the earthquake they had asked if they could be of any assistance in the provision of materials, etc. He had not the slightest doubt that the Hawke's Bay Board was entitled to some assistance out of the sum of a million and a half the Government was voting for earthquake relief. The only question was what the board could Mr. T. Bloodworth said the moral support requested was such as could best come from the Power Boards Association. It was decided to receive the letter sympathetically, and also to pass the request on to the Power Boards Association.