CORRESPONDENCE

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1929, Page 15

CORRESPONDENCE

ELECTRICITY IN HAWBRA. (To the Editor.)

Sir,—Mr. Murdoch, in writing to you said:

(1) That it was not possible for the Electric Company to obtain a license to reticulate Waimate West. (2) That the Power Board holds a license over this area, (3) It would not be lawful for the board to license the company to distribute electrical energy in this area. Taking the third statement first, section 82 (N) of the Electric Power Boards Act. 1925, says: “The board may enter into contracts with local authorities, public and private companies, and others for the supply to them of electric power in bulk; and such local authorities, public and private companies and others may ' distribute such power to consumers either as agents of the board or on their own behalf on such terms and conditions a® may bo agreed upon.” I respectfully suggest to the ratepayers that this section means what it says, and that under it the board might have licensed the company to distribute energy in Waimate West two years ago. Mr. Murdoch’s statement reveals how little consideration the board has given to the matter.

As to remark No. 2. It would appear that the board holds a license under what is now section 319 of the Public Works Act, 1928. Even if the board had a license to distribute, section 2-9 of the Electric Supply Regulations, 1927, states that no license confers a monopoly, and therefore if the poll were rejected, the company would bo entitled to apply for a license—not to the board, however, but to the Public Works Department—the board having no say in the granting or withholding of a license to distribute.—l am, etc., L. A. TAYLOR, See. Ratepayers* Association.