POWER BOARD CHAIRMANSHIP.

Shannon News, 24 May 1927, Page 2

POWER BOARD CHAIRMANSHIP.

MR. G. A. MONK RE-ELECTED. At this week’s meeting of the Horowlienua Power Board, Mr. G.. A. Monk was re-elected. Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year, members recognising that his past experience and adminstrative ability eminently fitted him for the position. Mr. Monk has held the chairmanship of the Board since its inception and before that presided Over the provisional committee that brougltt the Board into being. He, with Messrs A. Seifert, W. H. Gunning and W. E. Barber, are the only remaining members of the original Board. They, and the original members of the staff are able to look back, with more than average satisfaction upon their past labours in the light of the excellent position which the enterprise occupies today. Proportionate to its size, there is'probably no Electric Power Board In ‘he Dominion that has made so much progress, or that has been founded on a sounder or more economical basis. Interesting comments on these points were made at the annual meeting on Tuesday. »

In vacating the chair, Mr. Monk thanked the members of the past Board for their support and interest and referred to the loyalty of the staff during the vear, which had been most helpful . No matter what kind of support a chairman got from a Board or Council, the staff could make or break him. The speaker had kept a very careful eye on what had been done, and could say that the staff had done its utmost to*promote the interests of the Board. The Press throughout the district deserved thanks for the support and attention given to the affairs of the Board, and this had been largely instrumental in making it. a success they .had t<?-day. " COMPETITION WITH GAS.

Referring to the Board’s position., the Chairman said that unfortunate;v in two of the Boroughs they had been* in competition with gas-works. As far as Levin was concerned, they were not so nufeh in competition as working side by side, and both systems wen payable. In Foxton, however, gas matters were not- so good and possibly the advent of the Power Board had to some extent taken business away from the gas works, which were not in such a good position as the Borough would like. In most centres the two systems flourished together. For once Otaki had been lucky in„ that they had no lighting system before electricity came, and the Board had got good support there. CONSUMERS VERSUS BOARD.

The Chairman said that whatever lie had done had been, with the idea of pushing,the Bower Board along. He confessed to a feeling sometimes that he had been so ardent in protecting the Board’s interests that he had forgotten that he was a consumer’s representative. That might be so, and was-the result of his connection with the Board in its early stages. When they were spending hundreds and thousands of pounds, with no revenue coming in. eveiything they did had to be protective of the Board’s interests. Perhaps he had been a little over-cautious, but they came back to this point that if the Board’s policy was sound they could say to the consumers that the undertaking was not going to be a burden to them. They would not have to pay a rate for something they (lid not get. There were Boards which collected £60,000 to £70,000 in rates. The meter rent had been very unpopular, but the Board would have been a good deal more unpopular if it had had to go out and strike a rate. EULOGY OF THE CHAIRMAN.

The Secretary (Mr. Goldsmith) then took the chair aud called for nominations for the position of chairman. Mr. A. Seifert said he had mueh pleasure in proposing Mr. Monk again. He had been an excellent chairman and the Board had been extremely fortunate in having hi§ services and in having such a good engineer and staff. Mr. W. H. Gunning seconded the nomination. They had got on well under his chairmanship and in a manner satisfactory to the Board and the public. Messrs Barber, Petherick and Morse supported the nomination.' Mr.' Petherick leferred to the lucid manner in which Mr. Monk put. the business before the meetings and Mr. Morse said having followed the doings. of the Board through the ?iewspaper reports and otherwise he felt that the position of the Board to-day spoke well for'Mr. Monk.

Mr. Vincent agreed that in Mr. Monk they had the right man for the position.

ELECTED WITH ACCLAMATION

There being no further nominations Mr. Monk was declared elected amidst applause and resumed his seat.

The Chairman thanked the members for his re-election as he felt that he had their confidence and so long as he had that they could achieve something. ITe had been connected with the Board since the first meeting of the provisional committee in 1920. At each election it nad been the fortune of the County representatives to have to fight for their seats, and he liked an election as it cleared the air. He remarked that there were only four of the original members left on the” Board, ami commented on the fact that County members were elected for three years and Board members for two which seemed not quite right.