SMALL REBATE TO POWER BOARDS

Chronicle (Levin), 26 September 1947, Page 8

SMALL REBATE TO POWER BOARDS

AUCKLAND, -Sept'. 25. A febate of 5 poi' eeiit. to all power boards in New Zealand will be made on the e'ost of power supplied to them during 1947 by the State Hvdro-Eleetric Department. This coneession, which will total^ST^PO, was announeed today by the Minister of Works (Mr. Semple) addressing the annual coixference of Power Boards and Supply Authorities ' Association. Deelaring thaUthe rebate was . for *1947 only, Mr. Semple said that efforts had been made to have it applied to power supplied during 1946 also, but this was refused by the Treasury. " If you want to get it for 1946 also you had better ixght again, ' 1 Mr. Semple added. The president, Mr. J. A. Nash, representing the Manawatu-Oroua Board, said that it was not the intention of the association to let the mattel- of the 1946 rebate drop. In. a st^tement to the conferenee before Mr. Semple 's arrival Mr. Nashhad said that many boards had sufi'gred serious loss of revenue through being called upon to reduce substantially their unit consumption. In a subsequent explanation of tke saving of £37,000 affonled by the 5 per cent. rebate, Mr. Semple said the amount referred only to the savi'ng to the North Island authorities on the June quarterly account, and to the South Island adthorities on the September quarterly account. Explaining the conditions of the rebates, the general mariager of the State Hydro-Electric Department, Mr. P, T. M. Kissel, said they would be paia to North Island power authorities for the quarter ended June 31, 1947, and in the South island for the quarter eiuled- September 30, 1947. They were to cover some of the revenue the boa-rds might have lost in keeping the demand for power down to the department 's limits. The sliortage had cost the department possibly £500,000 in running „fue*T plants and imying units from miseellaneous sources in en'deavouring to meot the demands.