POWER BOARD ELECTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23044, 23 May 1938, Page 8

POWER BOARD ELECTION

Auckland electors will be required on Wednesday to choose a new board to manage the community's electricpower business for the next four years. The issue should be relatively simple, involving the selection of the 12 members considered best qualified to act as directors of the large distributing organisation. Party politics should not enter the matter any more than they do in the election of an ordinary business directorate. Unfortunately they have been imported by the Labour Party, which presents a complete "ticket" of 12 candidates. Electors should reject this appeal to faction as utterly uncalled for and irrelevant, and the more decisively because Labour's success would introduce caucus rule and secret methods to a body that should be fully representative and do its business freely and in the open. Actually no reason exists for changing the present administration, which has given universal satisfaction by efficient service. Happily nine of the retiring members have grouped themselves with three new candidates on a Citizens' "ticket" ■which is representative of the board's district and contains men experienced in business and public affairs. Their election would give a judicious infusion of new blood, while ensuring continuity of a proved policy by the retention of members with the requisite experience. The annual meeting last week produced impressive evidence of past accomplishment. In 16 years the volume of the board's business has increased 14 times, although the growth of revenue has been less than fivefold. That is because the board has progressively reduced its tariff, giving infinitely more service at far lower rates. The average charge per unit sold has fallen from 4.34 d in 1923 to .793 d last year, an impressive record. No reason exists for upsetting a sound policy by experimenting with an inexperienced Labour board, thus bringing sectional politics into what should be a community business. Such a dubious development can be avoided by concentrating voting power on the Citizens' "ticket."