OFFICE ACCOMMODATION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5214, 9 December 1927, Page 1

OFFICE ACCOMMODATION

POSITION OF PIAKO COUNTY.

POWER BOARD’S REQUIREMENTS.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board the question of office accommodation for the Piako County Council was discussed. • After occupying two rooms in the board’s suite of offices at Te Aroha for over six years, the time has c°me when the board’s staff has grown to such an extent that the offices occupied by the county council are required for the board’s own use.

After a brief discussion the following resolution, which was brought down by the finance- committee, was carried That the request of the council for the use of the offices until March, 1929, be agreed to, and that it be informed, that the Board has agreed that there was no desire to hasten their vacating the offices, bv/t in the event of them making other arrangements before March, 1929 the Board, can conveniently make use of the extra accommodation.”

After the resolution was carried the chairman (Mr F. M. Sitrange) said that the engineering staff pould well do with the extra rooms. However, the board had no wish to put the council to any inconvenience or force it out of, the offices.

It was the opinion of Mr C. A. Arthur that the board should be put on side and, it made clear to ratepayers that there was no desire °n the part of the board to force the. council to vacate.

The manager (Mr R. Sprague) drew attention to the apipunt of publicity that had been given to the matter, and he wished to explain that when approached by the county officials he had-said that the board could do w<ith the extra accommodation, but was prepared to wait until such time as the council secured other offices. Mr H. M. Corbett said that as far as he could understand, the council really wanted to get into new offices and was using the board as a lever to induce ratepaeyrs to realise the necessity. Mr Flatt considered that there was no need to unduly push the council out.

It was considered by Mr J. W. Anderson that from a, standpoint o? efficiency the board should: compel the council to vacate and give the engineering staff the benefit of the extra room. It was remarked by Mr Corbett that, to put it mildly, the absence of the council before March, 1929, would be appreciated.