ACTION DEMANDED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1944, Page 6

ACTION DEMANDED

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

NEED FOR MORE PLANT

Concern was evident at a con ference held yesterday afternoon ir Auckland to discuss the power crisis in the Dominion. Mr. J. Park, chairman of the regional publicity committee, pre sided, and there were present repre sentatives of the northern supplj authorities, the Auckland Chambei of Commerce, and the Auckland Manufacturers' Association. Two resolutions were passed, the first that the meeting should take all possible steps as a matter ol national urgency to impress on the Government that a delegation of twe competent engineers, with a TreaS' ury nominee, be sent abroad at once by the Government to procure elec trical generating equipment tc relieve the present power shortage in the shortest possible time, as re commended by the Power Boards' Association conference at Napier last year, and (2) that in view of the great public concern over the anticipated shortage of electricity, the Minister of Works, accompanied by the chief electrical .engineer, be invited to visit Auckland to meet representatives of the various affected interests. In welcoming the delegates, the chairman of the Auckland Electric Power Board, Mr. S. .1. Harbutt, said that the position had reached such a state as to be alarming. They knew the amount of power and the requirements, and it was felt the time had arrived when steps should be taken, and pressure brought to bear on those in authority to prevent the trouble continuing over a number of y Mr." Park said the Government had placed them in an invidious position, as when they brought anything forward it was countered. There was no disguising that the position to-day was serious. Power boards had had their quotas reduced, and could not give additional supply without cutting off consumers. Government Warned Mr. Park said that as far back as 1937 the Government was warned of the seriousness of the position, but had turned a deaf ear. The Government was not interested in.steam generation, despite the fact that other countries were going in for it, in conjunction with hydro-electric schemes. The, speaker asked for the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers' Association to get the necessary plant and equipment. The statement by the Government that plant was not available was not correct as the Government had had definite offers of plant from Britain and from non-belligerent countries. South Africa had got three 40,000 k w sets from Britain. Plant could have reached New Zealand in 11 months if shipping space was available. He said that a representative of the P. and T. Department had "one overseas to buy £5.000.000 worth of equipment, and it had been decided to send senior engineers to bkiv £0,000,000 worth. Mr. Park said that in the past 12 months the King's Wharf Station had been reduced by 2500 k.w. as the Government had disposed of six boilers and other equipment which had hcen sold to private enterprise. I Mr. Harbutt said that the Auckland Power Board had had definite offers of plant from overseas. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr. Allum, referred to the seriousness of the position, and said the Minister and the head of the Department should be asked to come to Auckland and meet them. There would be a much greater domestic demand than in the past.