ELECTRIC POWER BOARDS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5017, 23 August 1926, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER BOARDS

FULFILLING USEFUL PURPOSE.

GOVERNMENT ACTION EXPLAINED

Commenting on the undertakings of electric power boards, the. Minister of Public Works in his annua) Statement says:—

“The various power boards buying poorer in bulk from the department have continued to energetically carry out their various, schemes, of reticulation, and have very materially assisted the department in its. general aim of making an adequate power supply available to everybody within reasonably economic range of its lines. The department recognises that these electric-supply authorities are really partners with the Government in its general scheme of making power available generally throughont -the country, and appreciates the co-opera-tion that is. being exercised and the stimulus that is being given to the load on the Government power stations by the energetic policy o£ load development that is, being carried out by most of the boh,rds. “I regret that considerable publicity was given during the, year to statements, made by persons of consequence in the financial world, criticising the Government’s policy in allowing power boards to borrow so extensively in connection with electric works, the borrowing being classed in many cases as reckless and likely to become a serious burden on the ratepayers, to say nothing of prejudicing the. country’s credit in ether directions. The suggestion-, was, made that all loans for electric purposes should be scrutinised and revise.d.

“These might give the impression that the Government was failing in its duty to the country, and that its scheme of electric distribution was wrongly conceived. However, a consideration of the true, ffiacts of the ca,se, and knowledge of, the vast amount of good that has been done already, would, I think, have prevented such sweeping statements having been made. It is, unfortunately, true that one or two of the power boards have not been as successful as others or as, they might have been, but even these are fulfilling a useful purpose arid supplying the general public with power ajt prices which compare favourably with those charged elsewhere. The increase in the use of electricity in the' last few years has been phenomenal, and it would have been nothing short of miraculous, if no mistakes, had been made in the early days. That so few 1 mistakes, were made must surely be taken as an indication o>f the sound commonsense which has, in the main, governed this, question. Such defects, as have been made manifest are being rectified from time to time.

“The whole question of power" board finance and the prospect of success is now carefully reviewed by the Government, and only such boards- allowed to proceed as are considered to have reasonable prospect of success and such as a,re designed, and constructed to fall into the general scheme of development decided upon by the Government. “The annual conferences of electric supply authorities and of their clerical and technical staffs are doing much to clear up many of the. difficulties that have existed in the past, and must do much good for the business generally. They aye tending to produce more uniformity in the operation, and undoubtedly the interchange of ideas will do much to strengthen the weaker boards. Such conferencesare, also welcomed by the Government, whose officers have much to gain by a frank discussion of difficulties that may have arisen in deaL ing with the many problems that arise between the Govefinmept as supplier apd the suppliers- as customers plier and the supply authorities as customers throughout the year.

RULES AND REGULATIONS. “With the enormous, increase that has, take,n place during recent years a revision of the rules and regulations governing installation and supply is urgently needed. Though the administration of the regulations is the function of the Government, through the Public Works Department, there is no doubt but that other sections, connected with the electrical industry are vitajly interested. With this fact in view I have set up an honorary advisory committee, with the Chief Electrical Engineer of the department as chairman, to go through all rules and get out a complete revision of rules relating to overhead lines and installations, on consumers’ premises. This committee is composed of twb representatives from the. Public Works Department, two from the. electric supply authorities, a,nd one each from the Post and Telegraph and Railway Departments, Electrical Federation, Fire Underwriters’ Asso'ciation, and the Electrical. Workers,’ Union. The committee has met regularly throughout the year, and hopes to issue the. new- regulations at an early date.”