POWER BOARDS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19983, 18 July 1930, Page 13

POWER BOARDS.

RAPID EXTENSION OF WORK. DISCUSSION AT CONFERENCE. [THE PEESS Special Service] WELLINGTON, July 17. The work in which the Association was engaged was one of supreme importance to the community as a whole, said the Ministej for Public Works (the Hon. W. B. Tavorner), addressing the annual conference of the Electric Power Boards' Association to-day. It had developed in a way that no one anticipated, and in a space of time that put in the shade any other, development that had taken place in New' Zealand. The presidont (Mr J. A. Nash, M.P.), at the opening of the conference, extended a welcome to Mr Taverner and the Minister for Labour (Mr S. G. Smith). Mr Taverner said he believed that the intensive development of cheap electrical energy would play an important part in solving the industrial problems existing to-day. It was true that he had only recently had the responsibility of the portfolio for Public Works placed upon him, but for the past eighteen years he had been closely allied with the electrical undertaking in Dunedin. The Department and the Association were partners in a great work, and although he had not had-an opportunity of studying the proposed legislation or the remits previously dealt with, except the proposed Bill dealing with the functions of the Association, as soon as possible he would give complete consideration to any remits placed before him. The Minister for Labour also expressed his interest in the work of the Association. The president (Mr Nash, M.P.) stated in his report that immediately after last year's conference the executive waited upon the Hon. E. I A. Ransom, Minister for Public Works, and put forward the. most important of the remits which had been carried. Special reference was made to" those which dealt with depre: eiation and sinking fund, the Depart ment's scale of charges, loans for extension works, instantaneous water heaters, the Approvals Board, and the "rnian's allowance: During the 1929 session no legislation was passed to give effect to the remits, and there was little legislation passed affecting the operations of. Power Boards and supply authorities. The executive had also waited upon the Minister to oppose the bringing into law

of remits passed by the Municipal Association relating to supply by Boards in boroughs and petitions for inclusion in power districts. Mr 11. F. Toogood, representing the Electric Supply Authority Engineers Association, stressed the necessity for the setting up of a properly constituted Approvals Board. The position to-day was that appliances were being used that would not be approved if the desired Board were set up. Mr G. Brown, representing the becretaries' Association, also spoke. Remits Carried. Among the remits carried were the following,:— , . "That the Government be urged to grant authority to Power Boards and supply"authorities to invest their depreciation funds and reserve iunds in all trustee securities." . . "That where the commissioners ot the depreciation fund deem it desirable to have a report, as provided under Section 26 of the Electric Power Boards Amendment Act, 1927 the engineer appointed'to make the report may be an officer of the Public Works Department." . "That the Government be requested to amend the Local Authorities Superannuation Act so that a Power Board or supply authority can, if it so desires, subject to the consent of the Minister, provide for superannuation for its employees, either by way of endowment assurance or a saving fund. "That legislation be sought to definitely fix a , last year before which objections to the availability rate must be made in writing." "That in order to make it possible to extend electrical service to those engaged : in and connected with agricultural or pastoral pursuits in less densely populated districts where otherwise such service would not be financially feasible, the Electric Power Boards Act.be amended to provide for Government assistance being given in the form of a grant in aid up to a maximum amount of 50 per cent, of the capital cost of lines and secondary equipment." "That the basis upon which the Government charges Power Boards for the supplv of electricity namely; £lO per k.v a. for the first 200. becomes a penalty on the smaller Boards and this conference urges thp Government to alter its scale of chorees so that the smaller Boards shall not pay an average hierher rate per k.v.a. than the larger Boards." H was stated that on the averasre the smaller boards paid a higher pro rats, rate than the larger Boards .Cr>ri c, derinT. +hp H'fficnltie*! confronting smaller. Boards, it was- thought, that, the- .principle' of the chnree was. wfon<r and thrt they should he relieved of 'fio ininoist. The conference discussed at tome length the'present method of the Public Works Department of charging supply authorities on peak load. It was decided to ask the Engineers' Association to jeport on the question.