SUPPLY FOR TRAMWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20607, 4 July 1930, Page 14

SUPPLY FOR TRAMWAYS.

SUGGESTED SEPARATE PLANT "AN IMPOSSIBLE PROPOSAL." POWER BOARD'S MONOPOLY. Describing the proposal as ridiculous, the chairman of the Auckland ElectricPower Board, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, gave conclusive reasons at Iho Power Board meeting yesterday why it would be impracticable for the Auckland Transport Board to establish a separate steam power station for the tramways. The matter was brought up by Mr. T. Bloodworth, who said that if the Government had becri foolish enough to decide upon two steam plants instead of one, he saw no reason why three should be established instead of two. If the two boards were running private businesses, ho would say to the Transport Board, "Go ahead and relieve us of the burden." However, the boards were each serving the whole community. The caso was not for two power-stations but for ono board controlling both power and transport.

Mr. R. G. Clark said he was surprised at the suggestion. If the tramway load were removed the general consumer would benefit and domestic rates could bo lowered, but ho agreed with Mr. Bloodworth that there should bo a single board.

Mr. Holdsworth said the chairman of the Transport Board, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, had telephoned him and expressed great surprise that the matter had been given prominence in the newspapers. Mr. Allum said that certain questions had been put in committee, but tho matter had not been discussed by the hoard. It might not bo heard of again, although it might bo dealt with in committee at a later dale.

Mr. Holdsworth continued that he had taken no notice of the original suggestion, because it was quite ridiculous. The Power Board had the sole right to genorate and sell power within its area and not even the Government could enter and compete with it. In any case, in order to carry out such a, plan the Transport Board would first have to pay £600,000 for converter station, sub-stations and plant which the Power Board had installed for its sole use. It would have to spend £500,000 or £600,000 on the new generating station. Even then it would not bo able to do better than at present owing to the bad tramway load factor. The growth of the domestic load was the only reason why power could be supplied to the tramways at so low a rate as at present. The Transport Board could have got it no cheaper from Arapuni direct. It was a well-known principle that a traction load was unsatisfactory alone and must be dovetailed into a large supply in order to obtain a reason, ably low price.