RATES FOR RADIATORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18567, 27 November 1923, Page 6

RATES FOR RADIATORS.

Another indication of the autocratic methods adopted by the Auckland Power Board is contained in the communications from the Minister for Public Works iormally received by the board at its meeting yesterday. From these it appears that, not content with the imposition of drastic restrictions in the use of office radiators and an increase in the rate for current to 4ld per unit, the board endeavoured to persuade the Minister to give it power to raise the rate to 6d. Not only has, this proposal been brusquely rejected, but the Minister has forwarded a report by the chief electrical engineer in which the board's policy of restrictions on radiators is strongly criticised, ami t*>« view presented that the supply of current for office heating is obviously remunerative, and that from the point of view of public convenience, the correct policy would be to charge not more than 3d to 3.\d per unit. Mr. Birks' report is a complete endorsement of the contentions advanced in criticism of the board's policy, for, after an exhaustive examination of the facts and arguments presented by the board, he declares that the average consumption by radiators has been minimised, the difficulty of generation and reticulation exaggerated, and the value of radiator business sadly •viiqnndorc-fnod. A month ago, when the board announced the conditions on which existing radiators would be supplied,, the Herald pointed out that since current would not be available between 4 and 5.30 p.m. radiators would form profitable custom for generating plant essential to meet the peak load of that period, and that the charge of 4|d for current from plant that would otherwise be idle was exorbitant. This view is emphatically confirmed by Mr. Birks, who declares that under these conditions there will be a large surplus of plant capacity next winter, and to artificially re strict the sale of power for office radiators, if a rate of anything over 3d per unit can be obtained, is simply throwing away revenue. The board's engineer has dismissed this report with the observation . that he does not agree with Mr. Birks, who does not clearly understand the posi tion. That has been the board's attitude, expressed in similarly contemptuous terms, toward lay criticism of its decisions, but the public will perhaps hepitate fro accept its dictum that Mr. Birks is an ignoramus. Bather will it be disposed to advise the board to take a broader view of its responsibilities to the public, abandon the plea of incapacity, and set itself earnestly to canvass energetically for the excellent profits which Mr. Birks shows are to be earned from office radiators.