ELECTRIC POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 183, 4 August 1936, Page 5

ELECTRIC POWER.

SYSTEM IN SYDNEY. " CONSERVATIVE POLICY." MR. R. G. CLARK'S IMPRESSION. The impression gained by K. CI. Clark, a member of the Auckland Electric Power Board, after a close inspection of Sydney's electric service during the past three weeks, was thai Auckland had little to learn from the la rue r city, where the policy was, he thought, very conservative. Although the primary object of his visit was to see his mother, who is now 87 years of age, Mr. Clark, who returned by the Marama this morning, took advantage of the opportunity to inspect the work of the county council that controls Sydney's electric power supply. Members of this body were, he said, elected by the various local bodies and adopted a very conservative policy. Their undertaking was on a very much larger scale than anything of its kind in Xew Zealand, as they served a population almost equal to that of the whole of the Dominion. Their turnover, for instance, was over £3.000,000. while that of the Auckland Electric Power Board was less than £1.000,000; their power station contained 2~i kilowatt generators; while the largest in New Zealand were 15 kilowatt.

Although they were still increasing the out-put of their power station, Mr. Clark said, they were not getting new customers as fast as was the Auckland Electric Power Board, which installed as many electric stoves in a week as they did in a. couple of months. Nor was their financial position as sound. Whereas the Auckland Electric Power Board paid sinking hind on loans at the rate of 2\ per cent, they paid 110 sinking fund, their loans not being due until 1050.

Mr. Clark remarked that he was surprised to find that the steam-operated power station could generate electricity at very little higher cost than did the hydro-electric works at Arapuni. but it had to be- borne in mind that right from the beginning it had been known that Sydney could never have a hydroelectric source of supply, ana the steam plant had therefore been developed on the most efficient lines. Arapuni had cost much more than a steam plant having the same output, but when the cost nf Arapuni was paid off the Sydney Countv Council would still be buying

The only thing that Sydney had that the Auckland Electric Power Board did not have was a window display.