OUT OF EXISTENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 5

OUT OF EXISTENCE.

N.Z.'S FIRST POWER BOAKD

NEW SYSTEM OF CONTROL. (By Telegraph.—rress Association.) IXYERCARGILL, Monday. The Southland Electric Power Board, the first power board in Xew Zealand, went out of existence to-day after controlling the province's electricity supply for 14 years. A series of resolutions were carried at the meeting of the board to-day, mostly without discussion, to transfer the board's funds and other of the board's business to the Public Works Department. Much of the time of the meeting was devoted to speeches expressing the thanks of the board to the staff for its co-operation. The meeting was attended by Mr. F. T. M. Kissel, chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, who said that the board and staff had been faced with a difficult jjosition, and had done their very best to make a success of things. From the start, the Monowai scheme had been over-capitalised, and the only way to make the scheme pay was to increase the sales capacity of the plant. The board had intended to extend the scheme, while the Government intended to bring more power from the existing State systems. This was the crux of the matter. Actually, the Southland Power Board had more miles of service lines under its control than the Government, and this had led to financial difficulties, but although it was a debatable point, he was not at all sure that the extensions carried out had not been wise. It was noticeable, however, that the average consumption in Southland was appreciably lower than that in other parts of the Dominion. "It is not intended to make any drastic changes," Mr. Kissel said. "The staff have conducted the business of the board efficiently during past years, and are capable of carrying 011 for a further period." The Government had to deal with big staffs, and its methods "differed as a result, but he could promise them that if they gave good service they would not suffer by the change of control.