Collecting Agencies Not Favoured By Power Board

Northern Advocate, 14 November 1941, Page 3

Collecting Agencies Not Favoured By Power Board

Holding that settlers in small centres could use the same methods of payment of their accounts as consumers .in rural areas, the North Auckland Electric-power Board decided at its monthly meeting in Dargaville yesterday that it could not accede to a request contained in a petition forwarded by the Kamo Town Board for the re-opening of a collecting agency in Kamo for the board. The petition was supported by Mr. A. A. Mac Kay who affirmed that the board should assist communities in the paying of accounts. Many of the consumers in that area were working men who did not find it easy to pay accounts elsewhere. Delay in Accounts The use of collecting agencies meant delay in accounts being received at the head office, said the secretary (Mr. S. P. Day). The mass of consumers were in rural districts and they could pay their accounts without difficulty. When the question of making payment to meter-readers was raised, the secretary said that no instructions had been made to meter-readers not to take payment of accounts. Payment could be made to meter readers but it was better that consumers should not do so and that they should pay their accounts by cheque or postal note. In reply to a further question the secretary said that there were only two collecting agencies, one at Whanga’rei and the other at Hikurangi. The board decided that it could not comply with the request.