POWER BOARDS CONFER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20619, 18 July 1930, Page 14

POWER BOARDS CONFER.

GREAT VALUE OF WORK. REMITS FOR LEGISLATION. EXTENSIONS IN COUNTRY. [BY TELEGRAPH. —ritF.PR ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Minister of Public Works, ITon. W. B Tavorner, in addressing the annual conference of tlio Electric Power Boards Association to-day, said the work in which the association was engaged was one of supreme inipoitanoo to the community as a whole The president, Mr. J. A. Nash, M.1., at the opening of the conference, extended a welcome to Mr Taverner and the Minister of Lahour, the Hon. S. 0. Smith. Mr. Tavorner sn.id lie believed that the intensive development of cheap electrical energy would play an important patt in solving the industrial problems existing to-day. The Public Works Department and "the association were partners in a great work, and although lie had not had an opportunity of studying the proposed legislation, or the remits previously dealt with, except the proposed dealing with the functions of the association, as soon as possible he would give complete consideration to any remits placed before him. The president stated in his report that immediately after last year's conference the executive waited upon the lion. E, A. Hansom, then Minister of Public Works, and put forward the most important of the remits which had been earned. During tho 10.10 session no legislation was passed to give effect to the renuts, and there was little legislation passed affecting the operations of power boards and supply authorities. Tho executive had also waited upon the Minister to oppose the' bringing into law of ran ills passed by the Municipal Association relating to supply by boards in boroughs, and petitions for inclusion in power districts. Ncod of an. Approvals Board.

Mr. 11. F. Took<io<l , representing < lio Electric Supply Authority Engineers' Association, stressed the necessity for the setting up of a properly-constituted Approvals Hoard. The position to-day was that appliances wero being used that would not ho approve I if the desired board were set up. Among the remits carried wero the following : That the Government ho urged to grant authority to power boards and supply authorities to invest their depreciation funds and reserve funds in all trustee securities. That where the commissioners of the depreciation fund deem it desirable to have a report, as provided under section 26 of the Electric J'over Hoards Amendment Act, 1927, the engineer appointed to make the report may be an officer of the Public Works DepartmentThat the Government he requested to amend the Local Authorities Superannuation Act, so that a power board or supply authority can, if it. so desires, subject to the consent of the Minister, provide for superannuation for its employees, either by wav of endowment assurance or a saving fund. That legislation be sought, to fix definitely a last year before which objections to the availability rate must bo made in writing. Needs of Country Districts. That in order to niako it possible to extend electrical services to those engaged in arid connected with icußui a! or pastoral pursuits in less densely populated district?, where otherwise such service would not bo financially feasible, the Electric Power Hoards Act be amended, to provide for Government assistance being givi 0 in the form of a grant in-aid, i,'|i to a maximum amount of 50 per cent, of the capital cost of lines and secondary equipment. That, the basis upon which (he Government charges power boards for the supply of electricity, namely, £lO per It.v.a. for the first 200. has become a penalty on the smaller hoards, and this conference urges the Government to alter it* scale of charges, so that the smaller b/iards shall rot pay an average higher rato per k.v.a. than the larger boards. It was stated that on the average the smaller boards paid a higher pro rata rate than the larger boaids. Considering the difficulties confronting smaller boards, it was thought that the principle of the charge was wrong, and that they should lie relieved of the impost. The conference discussed at some length the present method of the Public Works Department of charging supply authorities 011 peak load- It was decided to ask the Engineers' Association to report on the question. The election of officers resulted:— President, Mr. J. Nash, M.P. ; executive, Messrs. G. A. Monk (Horowlienna), li. S. Chadwick (Dannevirke), \V. J. Holdsworth (Auckland), A. W. Codger (Southland), J. W. Kershaw (Wairani pa), A. J. McCurdy (Ifutt Valley), J. Kennedy (South Canterbury), A. C. Russell (Central Hawke's Hay), F. W Walt (Ashburton), J. T. Johnson (Te Awamutu), W. H. Galloway M. Cable (representing North Island supply authorities), E. Hitchcock (representing South Island supply authorities), IF. F. T oogood (represi nting engineers' associations). S. I'. Day (representing secretaries' committee) : secretary, treasurer and legal adviser, Mr. F. M. Martin.