NEW LYNN LIGHTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 218, 15 September 1925, Page 12

NEW LYNN LIGHTING.

QUESTION t)F ELEGTRIGIfY. MB. GARDINER REPLIES TO MA. kAYDEIf. PETITION TO JOIN AUCKLAND. The question of reticulating the whole of the New Lynn district with electricity is still the most important subject 'uWdef discussion in that locality. At the present time only a given area is being, dealt with by the Auckland Power Bo|rd, whb are reticulating on behalf of the Waitemata Power .Board. .Arising but. of a .public mfee'tinf, the New Lynn munity Guild.Submitted to the Tdwh Board last evening a petition bearing the signatures of over 350 ratepayefsj ih which the board is asked to approach the Minister of Public Works for his consent to New Lynn becoming, permanently attached to the Auckland Power Board's dislficl. The chairman (Mr. C. F. Gardner) also replied to the statement made by Mr. Haydien at the receht meeting of the Waitemata Board.. Mr. Gardner, in the course of his remarks, said: "It is surprising, but nevertheless a fact, that there is Stilt a good deal of misunderstanding and misrepresentation in respect to New Lynn's position with regard tq lighting. "Only on Friday last I wa* told by 'one j who knew all about it' that no current would be available in New Lynn for at least two months, and perhaps not then,and that, therefore, it was in the meantime not worth while applying. My reply i was that I already had the light on, and anyone else could have it on, too, if they took the trouble to go through the necessary form. That, in fact, with the ■exception of points where work in voaheetibh with crossing telephone and railway lines may not be quite complete, all lines in, New Lynn are actually 'alive,' and it only remains for proper applications to be made and light will be supplied immediately.

I was further informed by another person—l believe seriously and ift goot. faith—that no light would be available in New Lynn for at least two years, being the date at which it was expected that Waitemata would be completely reticulated. 'While on the subject of light, I want to refer to a statement by Mr. Hayden as reported in the Press of August 24. Mr. Hayden uses my name freeiyj and I have no other way of making the position clear to the people of New Lyhfii or of replying. Mr. Hayden had febihe object in view, A personal attack or to influence public opinion in New Lynn. "Mr. Hayden, stales that f have Used half truths. . His own initial paragraphs are good samples of half truths, and he proceeds to suggest in his next.paragraph, that we should hAve dealt with Waitemata, while in fact our agreement with the Minister of Public Works was to the effect that we should deal with the Auckland Power Board. He. states 'we were most anxious to assist:' Yet his board succeeded in preventing the Auckland Board completing its undertaking to reticulate the district, ! and is still holding the work up under the pretence that it might not pay, while his board has made no effort to discover whether it would or would not pay. "Mr. Hayden complains that *we hAd no } Communication from; New l_y_m at *"• iffr. Hayden knbWs that we were negotiating with the .Auckland PoWer Boai-d long before Waitemata was seriously thought 6f\ And had come to an agrement before that Board came into beiii* He Also Complains that I went direct to the Prime Minister. It is news to mc that to approach the Priihe Minister ih response to the hoik gentlemah's invitation (see 'StAr,' AUgUst <3, 1.24) is an offence. -lit. Hoyden next sAys thAt Mr. C. ~F. Gardher we* Always Antagonistic to the Waitemata Power BoAfd. lam not, nor have. I ever been Antagonistic to the Waitfemata Boa.d so long as it is content to leave New Lynn alone. When its Activities extend to within the boundaries of New Lyrm it id my duty to protect the interests Of the district and people. I cannot see Why New Lyrih should be loaded in order to secure cheaper light for the North Shore boroughs, which are remote from Us in every way. "If Mr. Hayden Wants to be friehdlr, why does he not suggest tb us that his board should simply take over Our dgreemen With the Auckland Power Board; If that is a sound proposition for Auckland with steam-generated power, should it hot be at least equally so for Waitemata with hydro-generated power, arid why Is Mr. Hayden so anxious to g ßt iis intb the Inner area. Is it that he wants power to collect rates? "The Devonport purchase gives one further cause for anxiety to keep odt* Is that installation worth half' of What Was paid for m As An outer Area this does hot concern us, but while pressure to force us-to jdifi the inner arfea is continued it is of considerable interest Further, ht States; "Streets Were but out because invitation for applications was unsatisfactory." if, as one might gather from the report, fie meAns big board's invitation I do not know of Any such ihvitation. If he means the New Lynn Town Board's invitation, I can ?£?__i ay that at the moment when Waitemata put the stop to the Auckland Boards work, applications were coming in freely, and Mr. Hayden made no effort that I know of to ascertain the position, though he wishes us to believe that Be was ' most anxious to assist ' "The position hoW is that as a result Of WAitemata's activities the Auckland Board enjoys revenue from New Lynn's industrial load and is relieved of its undertaking to fully reticulate the disit is stated by a member of the Waitemata, Board that further reticulation of New Lynn will not be undertaken till Waitemata is completed, and that very much higher rates Will be Charged to New Lynn as an outer area. Personally, I think we can find a way of dealing with this suggestion if an attempt is made to carry it into effect " li *_ r V„? oberts , ex ; Pr essed the opinion Jiat they were being humbugged by the H-aitemata Board. He subsequently noved that they support the petition ■hat had been circulated by the CSmnunity Guild. This wa _ seconded by Mr Gilding and carried unanimously