"SPARKS FLEW"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 5

"SPARKS FLEW"

AN AMUSING INTERLUDE HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER DISCUSSION IN HOUSE BETTER CONTROL URGED (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this Jay. When Mr. J. Hodgens (Lab., Palmerston) spoke on the public works statement in the House of Representatives last night, he found an alert audience, apparently well informed on recent municipal happenings. The result was a series of amusing interjections. Mr. Hodgens explained that he was particularly interested in the hydroelectric side of the department's operations, for he had been associated with the matter either as a power board member or city councillor for 17 years. Mr. A. F. Moncnr (Lab.*, Rotorua): Axe. you .still there,? .. ; • - * - ; Mr.-Hodgens r Yes, I am still there. I was deputy-Mayor up till a week ago. (Laughter.) I was chairman of the electricity committee up to about the same date. A member: There was an inquiry? Mr. Hodgens: Yes. Mr. Moncur: And the sparks flow. (Laughter.) "DUMPING" ADMITTED

The member for Palmerston admitted with a smile that he was dumped, but this did not dispose of the fact that when he had been so long' associated with the distribution of electrical energy he was intensely interested and wished to see •the Minister evolve a scheme whereby town and country would l>e drawn together and not driven apart. There wa; abundant evidence that previous Ministers 'of Public Works had driven a wedge between urban and rural interests, and the relationship .between power boards and supply authorities had, for some unearthly reason, been strained by Cabinet Ministers.

Mr. J. Thorn (Lab., Thames): Ex Ministers.

Mr. Hodgens concurred, adding that he was sorry that there had! not been a Minister of Public Works in the past who showed the same. determination as Mr. Semple in stopping work at Waikaremoana, because he was not satis-lied that it was a sufficiently safe proposal. DRASTIC ALTERATION

Electricity supply was almost entirely in public hands in the Dominion said the speaker, and the Minister should consider some drastic alteration in the method of control in the interests oi local body supply authorities. The State had £13,000,000 invested and local bodies £18,000,000, and there was no reason why the supply authorities and the State'should not work conjointly in the interests of the people. There had been strained' relationships owing to lack of uniformity in rates for supply. The first thing the Government, should do was to see that there was a uniform charge per kilowatt throughout New Zealand, and make provision that those with standbv plants who were not giving a proper load factor should pay a varying charge according to their demand on the State supply. The'Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, in a general reply to the discussion, stated his intention during the recess to concentrate on an investigation of the electrical supply system. There was a multiplicity of power boards, some of which were needed i« the early stages of development but which had outlived their usefulness. He hoped to bring down the cost of electricity and! make it available in the remotest parts of the country. The charges to the ordinary consumer in England were twice as, dear as in New Zealand, while in Canada they were 50 per cent higher, although the rate for the commercial consumer in England was lower.