POWER SHORTAGE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3287, 12 July 1943, Page 5

POWER SHORTAGE

TRUE FACTS WANTED PROTEST BY MR J. PRICE* POWER BOARDS SHOULD KNOW Reporting on his attendance at the conference of power boards held at Hamilton last month, the chairman of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, Mr J. Price, stated at the monthly meeting of the board on Tuesday that the main purpose of the conference was to discuss the acute national power shortage. “The only business done in this direction, however, was the formation of committees which have to report to a main conference at a later date,” stated Mr Price. “No' information was given as affecting the future Supplies of electricity Government, or what remedies are proposed. There is a report before you to-day of the results of the conference and a paper read by the secretary of the Power Boards Association.

Lack of Information “ I understand that the association had not approached the Governmenton this matter'and I think this is one of the first things the association should have done in order to find out what is being done by the controllers of electricity in the Dominion. “The position, as I see it is that not enough information is given to supply authorities by those who are handling the matter in Wellington. I would like to instance this as it affects us particularly. The board’s engineer, Mr McLeod, has been attendings meetings in Wellington, for the past two years' and no information could be supplied by him on his return owing to the fact that he was instructed that all discussions were of a confidential nature and could not,be divulged. At this conference, two gentlemen made a statement that they had information that could not be divulged but that some statement was • likely to be made in the near future. Working In The Dark “This I consider a very wrong proprocedure to adopt, owing to the fact that the individual boards frame their policy, and without full information cannot frame a future programme. I wish to state that I am of the opinion that all matters which come before the association or committees should be z supplied to the members, of all power boards. If those who are actually officers of the boards are entrusted with information of this nature, surely the members of* the boards are to be equally trusted. lam bringing this matter forward tq show you how much in the dark you, as individual members and officers of boards, are in relation to the position, and moreover matters which are private opinions of delegates may be furthered to the detriment of the board’s policy. ’ Whole of Dominion Should Know “ I would suggest that the board make application to. the Minister of Public Works, asking him for information as affecting the future supply of electricity in the Dominion and this board in particular, but we should notify the Power Boards’ Association that we are making direct application in this direction. Not only the supply Authorities should know, but I think the whole of the Dominion should .also be enlightened as to the future prospects, and further, what the departmen proposes in order to rectify the present shortage. “From my experience, the appointment of these committees up to date has not been of a beneficial nature. We have the instance of the Bulk Supply Committee which brought forth a report in 1934’, from which no results were achieved.

"The situation both before and after the conference is such that no delay, should be made in arriving at ways and means of meeting our own and the department’s difficulties. “It must be recognised that the position is serious, and as everyone admits, will be so for a great number of years, but if we are in possession of the true facts, I think we will then be able to work together, obtain better results, and put our own house in order.” I '

Resolution Passed Mr Price was thanked for his report and a long discussion ensued which led to Mr Corbett moving a resolution to the effect that While the i board did not object, under war con- I ditions, to the control of electric | power, the board’s officers, however, | should not be placed iff the invidious ! position of not being able to divulge , information to the board, otherwise ! the department should use its own s officers for the purpose. *