POWER BOARD

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 39, 24 March 1943, Page 2

POWER BOARD

DEMAND FOR CURRENT

" ! It is ridiculous • that with the shortage of labour we should b asked to answer such silly questions; they are silly because everyone

knows that we as a board are not trying to increase our load. On the one hand we have requests from the Government to keep down the consumption of electricity, and on the other demands from the. Government to supply current to various war industries and hostels and to buildings erected by the Government," said Mr. .T. W, Andrews at Thursday's meeting of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, referring to a letter alaking for details of the demand for electric current for the coming year, and another letter pointing out that the board had increased its demand beyond the extent allowed.

Mr. E. F. Hollands, Engineer-Gen-eral Manager, said that for the past twelve months the board had been carrying out defence work and that the- demand was extraordinary and was already working up to the figure of increase for the previous year He gave details of defence demands and said that even the provision of cooking and heating facilities for the girls' hostel meant a very considerable load. He anticipated that the present year's demand would increase by 121 per cent., instead of the 10 per cent, allowed.

Mr. R. W. Bothamley suggested that the board should refuse to connect up Government buildings; to which Mr. Hollands replied that the functions of the board in that direction were entirely over-ridden by the Government.