ELECTRIC COOKING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4851, 10 July 1925, Page 2

ELECTRIC COOKING.

EDUCATION BOARD INTERESTED. STOVE FOR MANUAL SCHOOL. In order to popularise cooking by electricity and give the rising generation an opportunity- of becoming familiar with the utility of electric stoves, the Thames Valley Electric Power Board at its May meeting decided to approach the Auckland Education Board and offer the free use of a certain make of electric stove for installation in the manual and technical schools within the board s reticualtion area, provided the school committees concerned were prepared to pay installation costs and charges for electricity consumed direct to the board. At Yesterday’s meeting of the PoweiBoard a letter was received from the manual and technical branch of the Auckland Education Board thanking the board for its generous offer to instal electric cooking stoves in the manual schools within its reticulation area. Before'taking further steps in the matter information was sought as to the cost of installation of a stove at Paeroa, Thames, Te Arolia, Waihi, Morrinsville, and Mataihata; also the cost per unit of electricity consumed for light and power, and if the board would consider charging a flat rate in view of the fact that the stoves would virtually be used for demon*stration purposes. In a later letter the Education Board advised that it had approved of the installation of a stove on trial for one year at the Paeroa Manual School, the electric supply to be on a trait basis. At the close of the year a comparison would be made with other means of cooking, and the board would then decide whether it could recommend a similar installation in other centres. ■

Mr Flatt tsaid it was evident that the Education Board had recognised Paeroa as an important centre. He was of the opinion that the board should forward a set of complete instructions to the manual school at Paeroa setting out the most important points to be observed to obtain the maximum results from electric cooking. The success or otherwise of the •electric stoves and method of cooking by electricity would be based on the results obtained at the Paeroa school. Several members agreed that everything should be done to popularise electric cookings Mr Arthur suggested that the engineer attend the school during a cooking course and give a practical demonstration as to the economic uses of the stove. • The chairman pointed out that the engineer could hardly be expected to make a point of attending the school to explain the utility and economic uses of electrical cooking, but if he should be in Paeroa during the hours when instruction was being given in cooking, then he might attend the school, Mr Flatt maintained that having interested the Education Board in the project no stone should be left unturned to supply information and do everything possible to make known the thorough, efficient, and economical means of cooking that electricity is for cooking. It was finally agreed to supply the Education Board with all available information, and that the provision of the stove and demonstration at Paeroa be referred tc. the engineer, with power to act.