The Northern Advocate Daily WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1937. ELECTRICITY FOR NORTHLAND

Northern Advocate, 24 March 1937, Page 6

The Northern Advocate Daily

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1937. ELECTRICITY FOR NORTHLAND

Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

The announcement that the first election of members of the Bay of Islands Electric Power Board has been fixed for April 14, should bring hopie to everybody the fact that the supply of electricity to Northland is in danger of being made more costly than it should be. We do not say this detrimentally of the Bay of Islands Power Board, for we realise that under existing circumstances the people of the northern counties who wish to obtain the boon of electricity as soon as possible have had no option but to form another power board district. We admire their progressiveness. At the same time, we are strongly of opinion that there should be only one power board district in Northland, and that it should be administered by a board representative of every section of the ratepayers throughout Northland, for it is obvious that multiplication of administrative bodies must necessarily increase the cost of current to consumers. It cannot be otherwise. At the present time, it appears that there will be three power authorities in Northland—the North Auckland Power Board, the Bay of Island Power Board, and the Whangarei Borough Council’s Electricity Department. What need is there for such dissipation of money and energy? None whatever, as we see the matter. The North Auckland Power Board, with the name altered to, say, Northland Power Board consisting of members, renresentative of every contributing county and s borough, should be the controlling body for the whole territory

, Tli ere seems to be no reason why | this should hot be done, if the 'question is approached in the I proper spirit by all the parties I concerned. The principle of : “give and take” must operate, j The present is the psychological moment for reconsideration of the whole question of electricity for Northland, and it is also the time for mutual bargaining. The North Auckland Power Board is an established fact, and it is making excellent progress, as is evident to everybody who goes through its district. The exclusion of Whangarei, which the hoard’s district encircles, is an obj vious handicap to the board, i Whangarei’s incorporation in the board’s district would make all the difference to the extension of electrical reticulation. Whangarei must for many years consume I more, power than any other given i area of Northland, and its inclusion as an integral portion of a Northland Power Board would be of much value in reducing administrative costs and the price of electrical current to consumers as a whole. Can Whangarei do more than it has done to effect this?. We think that it should go las far as possible to assist in the development of Northland, the welfare of which will condition the welfare of itself. So far as the Bay of Islands Power Board district is concerned, it is difficult to understand why the Government did not facilitate amalgamation and thus, make possible the extension of the North Auckland Power Board’s service to the districts which wanted reticulation, such districts, 'of course, having representation on the controlling body. There seems to be no justification for loading thq consumer Avith unnecessary costs of administration, plant and equipment which could be provided by one board governing the -whole of Northland’s supply. In the circumstances avc feel that : the entire question should be reviewed in the light of national interest. Today is the day of small -things so far as the providing "of electricity to Northland is concerned, but it is in the day ;of small things that the future of any undertaking is determined. If there is to be one power board district in Northland eventually, it is most important that all foundation work should be done with a vieAV to future deAudopments. That being so, the North Auckland Electric | Power Board should not do more ; than make tentative arrangements pending an effort to recon-: cilc the claims of the districts which, at the moment, are outside its boundaries. Whangarei should be Avilling to go as far as it can reasonably be expected to, go to assist Northland as a whole. It is not suggested that the ratepayers should sacrifice what is in the meantime very profitable to them, but that is not to say that the North Auckland Electric PoAver Board and the Whangarei Borough Council cannot make a bargain Avhich Avould be to the benefit of both. It is true that the Borough Council has not yet received a. reply to a « request which it addressed to the PoAver Board in December, 1935, but that should not deter the council from again approaching the board, taking a long vieAV of Northland’s electricity requirements in the years to come. The North Auckland PoAver Board and the Bay of Islands PoAver Board should also be able to come to an arrangement of mutual advantj age. This Avould pave the Avay for the creation of a Northland Power Board such as Ate have envisaged. The question ought to be faced Avithout unnecessary loss of time, We feel that the Whangarei Borough Council should make kno\yn to its ratepayers exactly Avhat the Electricity Department means to them, and what their position Avould be if the -borough’s investment Avere merged in a Northland Power Board. The ratepayers have a right to this information. The North Auckland Electric Power Board, on its part, should take steps to ensure that Whangarei and other districts Avould be able to come in Avith it on the best possible terms. It Avould be tragic if any effort Avhich might | improve the outlook for the siip-i ply of electricity in Northland j were not taken, iioav, Avhich is the j all important time. In our opin- 1 ion, a conference of representatives of all districts in Northland at present interested, or likely in the future to be interested, in electrical development, should be held for the purpose of discussing the advisability of co-operat-ing in establishing Avhat isj rlestincd to be one of the major undertakings in Northland. If it Avere found that such a union would not be feasible or equitable, avcll and good; each could hen go on independently of the Dthers, and future generations vould not be able to say that in he initial stages no effort A\ r as nade to bring about an economi- j ml combination of all interests ’oneerned. The question is vital j o everybody, and it is to be loped that no step Avill bo taken >efore it is demonstrated to be n the right direction and may lot have to be retraced. i