DEVELOPMENT IN POWER

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1934, Page 7

DEVELOPMENT IN POWER

EXTENSIONS IN BACKBLOCKS MOVE FOR A DEFINITE SCHEME. POWER BOARD CONFERENCE PLAN. OPPOSED BY MUNICIPALITIES.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Sept. 13.

At the Power Boards’ conference today Mr. W. J. Holdsworth (Auckland) introduced a proposal for a development board , with a permanent secretariat. The proposal revealed a strong division between town and country. Mr. J. O’Shea (Wellington City Council) voiced the feeling of the recentlyformed Municipal Supply Authorities’ Association as being totally opposed to the establishment of any such organisation.

Supporting the proposal, Mr. G. Dash (South Canterbury) said the lack of a central authority giving cohesion and continuity was a reason for the breakaway of municipal supply authorities. Mr. O’Shea said that if they were going to get anywhere it would not be by American “get-rich-quick” methods. It was going to be by economy. Economy could be the watchword of supply . authorities as it had been of municipalities. He suggested that if reticulation was required in sparsely populated isreas the cost should be borne by the Consolidated Fund in the same way as the Government took over the reading of the backblocks.

After a very long discussion the motion was altered to read that the report of the sub-committee be adopted and referred to the executive for the formulation of a definite scheme which will be submitted to the boards for approval, the executive to have power to act if the supply authorities agree to their proposals.