POWER BOARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 196, 21 August 1933, Page 9

POWER BOARDS.

TARIFF EVIDENCE

STATEMENT BY MR. MAIN.

A motion dissociating itself with evidence given before the Tariff Commission on behalf of the Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities' Association was carried at the last meeting of the Auckland Electric Power Board. At this morning's meeting of the Waitemata Electric Power Board the manager, Mr. A. Main, who gave evidence before the commission on the removal of duty on electrical cooking and heating appliances, furnished a report. The Auckland Board were careful not to indicate to what particular evidence they objected, said Mr. Main. He had been careful to see that practically the whole of his evidence coincided with that tendered by the Waitemata Board to the Minister of Customs last year. That evidence was supported by the president of the Electric Power Boards' Association and 20 of the largest power boards in New Zealand trading in electrical appliances. As the Auckland Board was not then concerned in trading policy in connection with the appliances referred to, it was not invited to be associated.

"Their recent . motion dissociating themselves at this juncture from the evidence given on behalf of the association will probably be found to have little significance," said Mr. Main in his report. "It is difficult to follow their reasoning, as for some time past they have been closely following the policy of this board. The presentation of the case called for an enormous amount of care, time and preparation, and, apart from a personal satisfaction in advancing the electrical industry, it is a thankless job endeavouring to present general views acceptable to everyone, particularly as there are divergent views among the power boards in respect of such matters as trading policies, etc. The most salient point stressed in my evidence was the vital necessity of the power .boards being able to install electric ranges more cheaply, so that more electricity could be sold and the charges to consumers reduced accordingly."