POWER BOARDS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18456, 10 August 1925, Page 6

POWER BOARDS.

CONFERENCE OF REPRESENTATIVES

! MR E. HITCHCOCK'S OBSERVATIONS. '•£ think that tlie most important feature is the significance that the conference has attained," remarked Mr E. Hitchcock, general manager of the Municipal Electricity ' Department, when .tsked on Saturday morning for somo particulars regarding the outstanding matters dealt with at tlie annual conference of the New Zec.and Power Hoards' Association, hold last week in Wellington, and attended Ivy Mr Hitchcock on behalf of the Christcluirch City Council's Electricity ■ Department. The conference..- Mr Hitchcock said, had reached such dimensions that it had been found necessary to delegate some of its work to sub-sections. The engineers' sub-section met hi conferonce two days before the general conference and the attendance of 5i was maintained during the two days.- On the first day the. sub-section met from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m., and on the second day from 'J a.m. to 11.30 p.m.—an indication of tho amount of business discussed. Throughout that conference representatives were present from the Underwriters' Association, the Public Works Department, Post and Telegraph Department, Railway Dopartment, and tlie Electrical Federation—the last-mentioned representing the traders in electrical supplies iu the Dominion.

There were many subjects discussed that afl'ected one or other of these Departments. or bodies, and these were discussed at different times and iu different circumstances with their representatives.

Clearing-House for Difficulties. He thought that very good results would accrue from this co-ordination of the different interests: as a matter of fact, the .conference had proved a. clear-ing-house for all difficulties. Tho Do-minion-wide representation made it possible to discuss difficulties that had arisen in different parts of tho country which, under normal conditions, would not have been heard of. but for the fact that the men who had encountered thnm were present to detail thom. The engineers' sub-section considered the proivosed GoTernment regulations and made certain recommendations to the general conference respecting them. 1 _ Amongst the principal points upon which- the sub-section made recommendations to the general conferenco were .that a permanent committee, or Ad-' visorv Hoard, or some such body, should be set up to 1 advise the Government on matters dealt, with as regulations affecting electrical- supply; that, a .permanent body be established to approve of all electrical apparatus. Both these recommendations were adonted.

The general conference .was,'attended by over one hundred representatives of power, supply authorities—power boards, town beards, counties, boroughs, and cities. At the closp of tho conference another sub-section. emiiiracinSi .the secretaries of power supply authorities, was set up. -It will deal Ivitli accountancy and clerical matters in. much tho same way that |Jie engineers' sub-section will deal with technical matters.

A deputation, representing the- conference waited on tho Prime Minister ■after the conclusion of tho business .and placed before him tho more important questions arising out .. of the deliberations of the delegates.'. These representations will; be supplemented 'by a report w»hich tho Prima Minister lias undertaken to consider.