Hydro-Power Conference

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 243, 27 September 1922, Page 5

Hydro-Power Conference

MEETINC OF BOARDS. OPENING ADDRESS BY MINISTr fl. RAPID PROGRESS ON SOUND LINES. I [Per Press Association.) Wellington, Sept. 27. A conference of electric power boards opened to-day. The Hon. J. G. Coates, presiding, said great progress had been made in th© development of electric supply and power board organisation since the last conference in August, 1920. There were now 23 constituted boards and ten provisional committees. The boards covered 30 per cent of the area of the Dominion. It had been suggested that some hoards were not spending to the beat advantage, thus increasing the coat to the consumers. New rcgulatio3» would rectify this defect and at the fame time enable boards to require guarantees of revenue with the effect of ensuring that schemes would be self-supporting. Rapid development of power necessitated similar progress with reticulation. By 1925 the present total capacity of plants would be more than doubled —from 69.000 to 147.000 horse power. On the whole power board legislaTho conference proceeded to in the hands of ratepayera the responsibility for distribution and giving them a local interest in the financial success. As the scheme generally wrs new, not following those of Canada, Victoria or England, it had been necessary to build up legislation ite the light of experience as difficulties arose. Several delegates referred in appreciation to the way the Hon. Coates had tackled the electric power problem, tion thoroughly succeeded in putting remits.