ELECTRICAL SUPPLY

Evening Star, Issue 22526, 19 December 1936, Page 12

ELECTRICAL SUPPLY

PROVISION OF 11 UNECONOMIC " LINES MATTER FOR GOVERNMENT DECISION [Pee United Press Association.] GISBORNE, December 19. “ The questions of giving power boards authority to extend lines into outlying areas without satisfactory guarantees and of subsidising both capital and revenue expenditure in lieu of guarantees are for the Government to decide,” stated the chairman (Mr F. R. Ball) at a meeting of the Poverty Bay Power Board. “ Doubtless the advisability or otherwise of erecting these uneconomic lines must first he considered in reference to the demand for the further reticulation of Southland, where the State is in full control. Southland now presents a very interesting situation, in that the avowed policy of the Minister of Public Works is similar to the initial policy ot the Southland Board, which policy brought disaster to the board. The Southland Board set out to give electric service to every person in Southland. It built miles of uneconomic lines and later pulled down miles of these lines, which would not pay even operating costs. Southland settlers in outlying districts are again looking for electricity to be brought to their homes. The Government is not bound by statute or regulations, but has it unlimited finances to carry out the work? Will it re-erect these lines that have been pulled down, ana will it erect other lines at a heavy mss to give an electricity supply to individuals while thousands of our poorer Ele in the towns and thickly popuareas cannot avail themselves ot the benefit of electric supply at their doors owing to the high initial cost ot installing the requisite appliances ia their homes? I have brought this matter forward because in recent months there seems to have been a tendency to emphasise every minor trouble experienced by power authorities and to ignore, not only the statutory obligations of the boards, but also the great amount of good develpment work carried out by them,” concluded Mr Ball.