

Power touted door to door
In the course of a conversation with a Daily Times reporter yesterday Mr A.P. Aldridge, engineer for the Otago Electric Power Board, said that every householder in the districts between Henley and Kaka Point in the south and Waitati and Dunback in the north would be waited upon by representatives of the board for the purpose of ascertaining their particular requirements for electric supply. The scheme covered the wiring of premises by the board and the sub-contractors, the work being let as a result of open tenders. It also covered the supply of appliances purchased by the board and retailed at prices which would enable it to compete with those ruling in Dunedin. By this means the consumer would have the advantage of technical advice from the board’s representative. It also had the additional advantage to the consumer that by dealing with his own concern of which he was nominally a shareholder, any profits accruing from the administration would be ultimately to his own benefit. By this means the board hoped to keep in personal touch with its consumers, to the advantage of all concerned. It was expected that canvassers would make a start on this work within the next few days. It was hoped by these means to secure a reasonable revenue from each district as power became available. Intending consumers need have no anxiety regarding the non-completion of their installations before the supply was available, as it was the intention of the board to keep ahead of its supply. It was unfortunate that owing to the shipping strike in Australia the arrival of poles for the completion of transmission lines had been delayed, but the board was making arrangements for the speeding up of its reticulation work as soon as a supply became available. The board was preparing a circular for distribution throughout the districts giving full details as to the charges for power and its policy with regard to wiring. The board intended to establish showrooms in the more closely-settled centres of the district, when demonstrations of various electric appliances would be given. — ODT, 22.1.1925
Compile by Peter Dowden