LIGHT AND POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1941, Page 6

LIGHT AND POWER

WAIRARAPA BOARD BUSINESS AT CARTERTON TODAY. A GOOD YEAR EXPERIENCED. The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board was held at Carterton today. The chairman, Mr A. C, Pearce, presided. There were also present Messrs J. W. Colquhoun, F. C. Daniell, H. P. Hugo, W. Howard Booth. E. C. Holmes, W. A. Tate, M. B. Tait, Simon Dalgliesh and the secre-tary-manager, Mr Geo. Brown. Accounts amounting to £ 14,067 3s 7d were passed for payment. “It has been a very good year,” commented Mr Brown in submitting a balance sheet for the financial year ended March 31, 1941. A net profit of £4,733 for the year was recorded. Tribute to the work of the secretarymanager, Mr Geo. Brown, was paid by Mr Daniell and the chairman. “It will be seen that Mr Brown’s estimates have been remarkably good,” said Mr Daniell.

“We have seen from the reports before us today the enormous amount of work involved in running the board’s affairs,” said Mr Pearce in congratulating Mr Brown on his work. Mr Brown, in reply, stated that the work of his staff was a contributing factor to the successful year recorded. “I wish to congratulate Mr Booth'' on the service he has rendered consumers and ratepayers for the past 21 years. It is a (Very fine record,” said Mr Pearce in commenting on an item in the secre-tary-manager’s report. “It is to be hoped that Mr Booth will still carry on.” In returning thanks for the chairman’s remarks, Mr Booth stated that he had always endeavoured to do his share of the board's work. If the local body which had nominated him for the past 21 years would continue to do so in the future he would be prepared to continue to offer his services. It was decided to hold the annual meeting, and the monthly meeting, on May 29. •

. A letter was received from the Electricity Controller asking for the supply of LI miles of copper cable for defence purposes. Mr Brown reported that he had advised the Controller that the board had no stocks of the cable and a quantity ordered by the board had been lost on a ship sunk by enemy action.

Mr Dalgliesh moved a motion, which was seconded by Mr Colquhoun. that the sum of £lOOO which had been loaned to the Government free of interest for the duration of the war and six months after, be allocated to the special reserve fund for rural reticulation when the loan w'as repaid. “We might not get the money back,” said Mr Pearce. “There is a strong possibility that the Government will experience financial difficulties and might give us more bonds." It was considered by some members that the time was not opportune to decide how the loan was to be spent. The motion was put to the meeting and declared lost by four votes to six.