POWER BOARDS.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15313, 14 August 1923, Page 5

POWER BOARDS.

REPRESENTATION OF RIDINGS.

MR F. LYE’S SUGGESTIONS,

MINISTER NOT FAVOURABLE,

By Telegraph.—Special to Times, WELLINGTON, Monday.

Mr Lye asked the Minister of Public Works whether he will favourably consider amendments to the Electric Power Boards Act, 1918, to allow for riding representation in parts of 'counties within power board areas. Hon. J. G. Coates replied that the present representation on the electric power boards is very much akin to that of a county council. Under the county System each riding elects its representative to the council, and under the power board system each constituent district of the power board district elects its representative to -the power board. In cases where a constituent district, by reason of population and value is entitled to more than one representative on the board, those representatives are elected by the constituent district as a whole. It very rarely occurs, that a constituent district such as a county has as many representatives on the Electric Power Board as it has ridings, and it would, therefore, be impracticable to provide for ridipg representation. Furthermore, a power board district is a wider organisation than a county, often embracing several counties, boroughs, road boards, and town board districts. It is, therefore, quite impracticable, and, in my opinion, undesirable, to follow the system of riding representation under the Counties Act.