POWER SUPPLY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 5 September 1934, Page 9

POWER SUPPLY

ANNUAL CONFERENCE IMPORTANT MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION The annual conferences in connection with power supply will open in Wellington on Monday morning, the engineers and secretaries first discussing their business and sending on their recommendations in remit foim to the power board delegates, who will meet on Wednesday morning. The formal order paper for the main conference is this year comparatively short, but the arguments will probably be keener and heavier than usual, for the first six remits, dealing with bulk supply rates, proposals for the establish, ment of a commissioner system of con trol and amalgamation of urban and rural areas, supply plenty of scope for the expression of conflicting opinions (says the “Post”). The differing rates charged by the Government for bulk supply have been a source of argument for many years. Generally stated, the attitude of the Government is that large the cities and larger power boards—should obtain their power at lower rates, an attitude which does not satisfy the smaller boards, and which, in part, accounts for the differences in charges by supply authorities for industrial and household power. There are four remits on this subject. South Canterbury wants to see a standard charge made by the Government for all electricity supplied to boards and supply authorities, over the whole Dominion, notwithstanding any spedial circumstances wherein special contracts were made. Similar remits were received from Waitaki, ManawatuOroua, and Hawke’s Bay. The Waitemata Power Board does not go as far as this, but proposes that in view of the healthier financial state of the Government hydro-electric schemes, the Government should (except in the case of city boards under special contract) charge a flat rate ot £7 10s per k.v.a. At present, states a note attached to this remit, most power boards pay on a standard basis of £lO per k.v.a. for the first 200 k.v.a., and £8 for the balance. Several city special contracts approximating £5 5s per k.v.a., and other boards obtain a 5 ner cent, rebate on standard rates. The Waitomo Board seeks to have bulk charges reduced to enable rural boards to meet increased competition from steam sterilisers and steam producer plants (presumably in connection with the dairying industry, to which problems the engineers have devoted a good deal of attention, without reaching a. solution acceptable both to themselves and the dairying industry).

SYSTEM OF CONTROL Then follow two more remits which can be relied upon to arouse hearty discord : “That this conference approves of the principle that the Government hydro schemes should 'be handed over to electricity commissioners to administer.”— Y' a h omo Power Board. that this conference is of the opinion that the electric supoly business in both urban and rural areas s iou d be controlled by one authority,

and that the Government be urged tc have this given effect at an early date.” Manawatu-Oroua Power Board.

Recently the metropolitan supply authorities have been in communication with each other and, it is understood, their representatives will meet prior to the conference to discuss the tariff and control proposals to reach a general understanding should the conference dehate run into town and country channels, which appears to he not at all unlikely. The remaining remits cover miscellaneous subjects, one of the most im. portant of which is a proposal from Hawkes Bay that the Municipal Association should be supported in its effort to arrange a block conversion of local body loans domiciled overseas.