ELECTRICITY "PIRACY."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 288, 5 December 1931, Page 15

ELECTRICITY "PIRACY."

CONSUMER FIXED £7.

PEACTICE SAID TO BE COMMON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

TB AROHA, Friday.

"Piracy" by electricity consumers is fairly common in the Thames Valley district, according to the Power Board manager, Mr. R. Sprague, who gave a charge against H. B. Barnes, of Peria, of fraudulently extracting electricity. Counsel for the Power Board submitted that the action was in every way equivalent to theft, and there was every indication to ehow that it had been deliberately committed. Two of the board's employees discovered that defendant's switchboard was so -wired that power need was measured under flat rate instead of a unit rate. Two points had been bridged by a connecting wire. Mr. Sprague, in evidence, said that his board was aware that the practice was a fairly common one and desired to take the strongest combative measures. Recently three prosecutions had been instituted, but the piracy continued.

A letter from the defendant stated that, although the bridging had been done by one of hia employees, the fact was not known to him. He deeply regretted it. Defendant was fined £7 and costs.