POWER BOARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23321, 13 October 1937, Page 6

POWER BOARDS

THREE CONFERENCES QUESTION OF NATIONALISATION ENGINEERS’ REPORT TO BE DISCUSSED f (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 12. Three Power Board conferences are sitting in Wellington this week —engineers, secretaries, and, to be opened on Thursday, the main conference of members of power boards and supply authorities of both islands. The most important question for discussion this year is the possibility of a move towards nationalisation of power generation and distribution, which will be brought before the main conference on a report from the special committee set up by the engineers at their conference last year. No definite statement that nationalisation is intended by the Government has been made, but the matter is considered of sufficient importance to warrant a discussion. A Strenuous Year The Secretaries’ Conference opened yesterday. Mr J. A. Nash, president of the main association, said the year had been a strenuous one as a result of legislation which had made the position difficult for power boards and supply authorities. He was disappointed over the failure to register the Power Boards’ Employers’ Union, but the fault* lay not with the association but with those supply authorities which had not shown interest in the proposal. He also regretted that the Superannuation Bill had not been proceeded with, and said he hoped it would be passed this session. Among the remits discussed and adopted was one urging that legislative authority should be given for the raising of loans for consumers’ work without a poll as far as ordinary reticulation extensions were concerned. SECRETARIES’ CONFERENCE ELECTION OF OFFICERS (Per United Press Association > WELLINGTON, Oct. 12. ’ The secretaries’ branch of the New Zealand Power Boards' Supply Authorities’ Association elected the following officers at the annual conference in Wellington to-day:— President, Mr G. P. Fowler (Central Hawke’s Bay); secretary, Mr G. A. Ammundsen (Wanganui-Rangi-tikei); committee—Messrs K. W. Eglinton (Manawatu-Oroua), W. S. M'Clymont (Marlborough), G. D. Hathaway (Christchurch), S. P. Day (North Auckland), D. M'Arthur (Taranaki), George Brown (Wairarapa), am! J. Denford (Greymouth); auditor, Mr T. H. Pickard (Dannevirke). SPARSELY-POPULATED AREAS OPPOSITION TO SUBSIDY FOR RETICULATION (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. ,12. Opposition to any move for a Government subsidy to assist in the electrical reticulation of sparsely-populated areas was expressed in a report of a special committee to the secretaries’ branch of the New Zealand Electric Power Boards’ Supply Authorities’ Association in conference at Wellington today. The conference was sharply divided on the question, which was referred without any recommendation to the main conference on Thursday.