No Commission For Electricity Control

Northern Advocate, 27 September 1947, Page 4

No Commission For Electricity Control

(Spacial.)

AUCKLAND, This Day

"We have no chance of getting a commission to control generation and bulk distribution in this country,” said Mr M. E. Lyons (Christchurch) during discussion at the power boards' conference yesterday of a remit from Tauranga asking that the committee set up at the last conference should expedite its report on this subject. "It is entirely contrary to the Government’s policy. "As long as these conditions exist we will be just kicking for no purpose. It may be that in the days to come the atmosphere may be more likely to favour the growth of commission control.” When members asked if no report had been mad& because the formation of a commission might mean the abolition of power boards, the chairman (Mr J. A. Nash) said the Government had advised that a commission was not part of its policy. It would have been a waste of time to prepare a report. The conference asked the executive to appoint a convener and submit a report. RURAL RETICULATION A series of remits on rural electrical reticulation was adopted, but it was decided not to refer the recommendations to the Rural Electrical Reticulation Council for a year. The remits covered subsidies on* capital costs and additional finance for supplying power to sparsely populated areas. The conference decided to support a move to relieve the State HydroElectricity Department of income tax. It approved remits urging the aboli-. tion of sales tax on time switches and meters. Increased supplies of, hardwood poles, steel for concrete pole manufacture and other line material were requested in another remit. The Government will be asked to exempt all housing provided by power boards and supply authorities for their employees from the Fair Rents Act. OFFICERS APPOINTED The election of officers resulted: President, Mr J. A. Nash (Manawatu-Oroua); Auckland representative, Mr S. Irwin Crookes; Christchurch, Mr M. E. Lyons; Wellington, Mr F. W. Furkert; Dunedin, Mr L. M. Wright; Engineers’ Association representative, Mr L. B. Hutton (Wellington) ; Secretaries’ Association representative, Mr H. H. Wylie (Hawke’s Bay); South Island municipalities, Mr C. S. Ayers (Rangiora Borough Council); North Island municipalities, Mr G. Tremaine (Palmerston North City Council); South Island boards, Mr W. G. Rudd (Marlborough) and Mr R. T. McMillan (SpringsEllesmere); North Island boards, Mr R. Masters (Taranaki), Mr F. R. Ball (Poverty Bay) and Mr S. Blackley (Hutt Valley); secretary, Mr N. G. Dunning (Wellington).