ACTION URGED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25217, 1 June 1945, Page 6

ACTION URGED

MAKING UP DEFICIENCY CONFERENCE DECISIONB A reduction in the broadcasting hours nnd an assurance that the Government ) was taking effective measures to deal with the deficiency in the electricity I supply by installing supplementary genj erating plant were requested in a mesj sage sent to Wellington by telegram , yesterday • afternoon by the Auckland ; Chamber of Commerce. This action fol--3 lowed a conference called by the chamber to discuss the electricity crisis and I attended by representatives of the ' Manufacturers' Association, the Kmt ployers' Association and electricity i supply authorities. Telegrams reporting the conference decisions were sent to the acting-Prime 1 Minister, Mr Nash, the Minister of , Works, Mr Scruple, and the Minister of , Industries and Commerce. Mr Sullivan. Cut In Broadcasting The conference, at which the president of the chamber, Mr H. J. Lichtenstein, presided, decided that the various 1 organisations should immediately issue circulars to their members recommend- ' ing the exercise of the utmost economy " in the use of electricity, and recoius mending specific methods by which s economies could be effected in industrial i and commercial usage with a view to ree stricting the total consumption within r sale limits and avoiding inconvenient interruption of This decision 1 was conveyed to the Ministers, with the assurance that the utmost co-operation * would be given by consumers in Auck- - land. i It was recommended that the broady casting services should be suspended between 4' p.m. ana 6 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays inclusive. "We underj stand," the message stated, "that the a present cuts effect a saving of 220.000 units a week and that an equivalent r , saving within the vital peak loading period could be effected by the further , reduction. Supplementary Plant Advocated "The people of Auckland have for s many months suffered inconvenience and hardship through repeated failures of the gas supply, attributable to a large o extent to the shortage'of coal for indusf trial and domestic use," the message v continued. "They will no doubt respond t to this appeal for their co-operation, and t, we urgently submit that the Govern- -) ment should immediately give substanr t.ial assurances that it is taking effective 3 measures to deal with the known deficiency in electricity supply for the r next few years by the installation of sup- . plementary generating plant. Specific s ally, it is recommended that the King's - Wharf plant be converted to oil fuel at - the earliest possible moment."