POWER BOARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 191, 15 August 1933, Page 3

POWER BOARDS.

TARIFF EVIDENCE. AUCKLAND DISAPPROVES. « ENTIRELY DISSOCIATED."

Surprise was expressed at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Electric Tower Board at the nature of certain evidence given before the Tariff Commission by the Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities' Association, of which the board is a member.

Mr. R. G. Clark asked if the board had acquiesced in the evidence submitted.

The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, said the evidence given was read by him with surprise. Boards or individuals had every right to go before the commission, but what impressed him as peculiar was that the evidence was given on behalf of the association. He had ascertained from the secretary in Wellington that the evidence submitted had been authorised, by the association.

Mr. >S. J. 'Harbutt said it was a big question and the Auckland Power Board had not expressed approval before the evidence was given.

Mr. Holdsworth said he was a member of the executive and no meeting had been called. He had endeavoured to get a meeting to consider loan conversions and had been informed that there wae no necessity for a meeting to he called until September. If the evidence was authorised it must have been by the president or secretary.

Mr. Park: You would never have allowed some of that evidence to go forward. The executive should certainly have met and decided on what lines the evidence was to be given. What had happened calls for more than an ordinary reprimand.

Mr. R. IT. Bartley, general manager, said the evidence submitted had done the electrical business a lot of harm. Relationships had been introduced that should never have been .mentioned.

Mr. Park said the position was ridiculous. What had been done was an insult to the members of tho association's executive.

Mr. Holdsworth said if the Power Boards wished to give evidence it should have been done ill Wellington by the executive. It would have carried more weight there. Until a reply came from Wellington they could not believe that the evidence had been authorised.

The following resolution wae carried on the motion of Mr. Harbutt: "That this board entirely dissociates itself from tho evidence placed before the Tariff Commission on behalf of ■ the Power Boards Association." The resolution will be sent to the Tariff Commission, and to the association in Wellington.