POWER BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5445, 8 July 1929, Page 3

POWER BOARD.

• QUESTION OF TRADING. MANAGER’S CAUSTIC REMARKS. In his report to the Thames Valley Power Board on the Secretaries’ Conference which he attended, Mr R. Sprague, the manager, made the following remarks anent trading by the board y and by private concerns :— “This very - important matter was again brought forward, and the principle of trading was also endorsed by the Engineers’ Conferece. I consider that the main conference should now' move in the matter and urge upon the Government that it is most essential for power boards to trade (especially country power boards). ( “I am quite positive in stating that no private contractor, or electrical firm, can give the same service at such a small cost to the consumer as is given by this board.. As previously stated, when the board commenced operations in 1920 no provision whatever was made for trading, but owing to the methods adopted by the traders, and at the request of the board’s consumers and ratepayers, it was considered most necessary to establish this department in order to protect our consumers from the exploitation that was being done by the traders. “The 1928 Committee, who are agitating for the abolition of the legislation which now gives boards the power to trade, are, in my opinion, endeavouring to prejudice the Government and the general public, in order that they would then be in a position to control the prices and supply of appliances and installations to the financial detriment of power boards’ consumers, and also retard the use of electricity in country districts. “However, I consider that it is high time that the bluff of the 1928 Committee and Federation was called, and I can state without fear of contradiction that the methods adopted by this board will stand any investigation, which, I regret, cannot be said of some traders.”