SOUTHLAND POWER SUPPLY

Evening Star, Issue 22456, 29 September 1936, Page 14

SOUTHLAND POWER SUPPLY

STATE CONTROL ACCEPTED A HUGE MAJORITY [Pbr United Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, September 28. The control of the electric power supply in Southland will, in future, be vested in the Government. A postal referendum among the ratepayers, extending over some three weeks and completed to-day, resulted in an overwhelming majority in favour of State control as against the retention of the scheme by the present authority, the Southland Electric Power Board. The polling resulted as follows: For control by the Government ... 7 ,993 For retention of the scheme by the board 2,748 Informal 952 The reason for tbe high •percentage of informal votes is stated to bo that the papers were not signed on tbo special space provided for that purpose. Much interest was taken in the ballot, but because it was spread over a long period and was conducted by post it did not produce the enthusiasm that might have marked a campaign ended by personal visits to a polling booth on one day. The Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash), in a telephone interview tonight, congratulated the ratepayers of Southland on the result of the referendum. It was evident, he said, that the advantages that would accrue to Southland had been recognised. The Government would take immediate steps to give effect to its policy as placed before the ratepayers. The chairman of the Southland Electric Power Board (Mr J. T. Carswell) raid that in his opinion the Government had received a wonderful bargain in securing Southland’s electrical undertaking with its annual gross revenue of £146,000 for the mere taking over of the hoard’s liabilities. ;. The scheme had reached a paying point and the land rate which had “ loaded the dice ” against the board was occasioned solely by the high rate of the sinking fund—--4.1 per cent.