POWER PRICE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32011, 11 June 1969, Page 10

POWER PRICE

Concern Over Possible Rise Power boards and consumers within board areas should resist any suggestion that they be linked with municipal [authorities and be subject to Itheir terms, Mr J. J. Parsons, |Dominion junior vice-presi-|dent of Federated Farmers land the federation’s liaison i representative with the Powler Boards' Association, says |in a statement. | “As from October 10 the 'Electricity Distribution ComI mission, with its over-riding (powers will, as it thinks fit, Ibe able to reorientate electrical power distribution in New Zealand,” the statement says. “The supply and distribution of electricity is a highly specialised service and any suggestion that the industry should charge more for power than is required to service l !the industry’s capital and’ ’current costs must be repug’nant to consumers. “The power boards of New ’Zealand supply power to twothirds of our population, and in area they cover threequarters of the country, as well as supplying energy to two-thirds of the nation’s industry. They have done yeoman service in reticulating power throughout New Zealand, even to the remotest (parts. Their charges have not (been unreasonable. “Power charges are a conIsiderable factor in the cost of production in factory and on farm, and today with such ’keen competition in the marketing of both primary and secondary exports it would Ibe wrong to use the electrical charges as a source of local authority revenue, as is done by some municipalities. “In both industry and farming more sophisticated trends in the future will inevitably mean a greater: usage, and an eVen greater; dependence on electricity : ; Consumers must rightly be concerned that with a change to area power supply authorities the farmer, and the industries which handle and . process his products, might be . forced into the position of subsidising urban • rates : through excessive power i charges, the profits from ■ which are used for providing ; other community services. ; “Power boards have earned, ; by their outstanding perform- : ance in the past, the confi- > dence of consumers to con- - tinue to serve the country as : a specialised service indusI try.”