ELECTRIC POWER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 14

ELECTRIC POWER

DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS P.B. BOARD MEETS Die monthly meeting of the Poverty Bay Electric Power Board was held today, the business being mainly of a routine nature, with one or two items of outstanding interest. There were present Messrs. T. ■*». Ball, chairman, H. H. De Costa, C. W. Izod, T. Corson, M. T. Trafford, B. J. Holdsworth, C. Mills, C. Matthews, A. A. Fraser, and J. Tombieson. The correspondence included a notification that the Drivers’ Union was seeking to have the scope of the award extended to include employees, of power authorities engaged occasionally as truck drivers. There was also a letter from tiie Power Boards’ Association dealing with the effects of new industrial legislation. —The board formally received the letter, the manager, Air. V. E. Sanders, pointing out that the effects of industrial legislation could not yet be estimated by power boards, and that it was too' early to discuss the position with any profit. “I suppose we must do what we are told!” remarked the chairman in moving that' the letters be received.

Arising out of the recent conference, the Power Boards’ Association also forwarded letters covering the president’s review of conference subjects, and the executive’s views on questions of press criticism, nationalisation, and other matters. —Mr. Ball stated that the conference certainly had been more lively than those of previous' years. The outstanding feature of organisation during the year had been the recognition that the association needed a full-time secretary, whereas previously it had been maintained by many delegates that the post did not .call for the full time of a competent man. The chairman also reviewed briefly -various points of interest to his own board. The finance committee recommended for approval payment of power fund accofnits totalling £3338. The committee also recommended that the rate for industrial power, taken in iff-peak hours, should bt> amended as follows :—First 15 units per horse-power per month, 2d per unit; next 15 units l|d ; all over 30 units, ,625 d per unit, with a minimum charge of Is per month. Another recommendation was that tlie s]>ecial rate covering electrical contractors’ showrooms should be reduced from 3d per unit to 2ld per unit, as from the -late of normal readings made in September, 1936.