District Unjustly Penalised

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 42, 10 May 1950, Page 5

District Unjustly Penalised

If Whakatane was given a power allocation the same as the Waitemata Power Board area would the council he prepared to institute an individual quota system and do away with the present cuts? This question was asked by Councillor W. Sullivan at the monthly meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council. If the council was prepared to do so councillor Sullivan offered to interview the electricity controller and request an increased ailocatl0 Following some discussion councillors favoured the offer but it was felt that no action could be taken without first _ consulting the Bay of Plenty Power Board. It was decided to discuss the position with the Board and to notify councillor Sullivan at Wellington as soon as possible.

The whole question arose when Cr Sullivan said he thought there was something drastically wrong with the borough’s power allocation. On figures he had he felt that the town was not getting its rightful quota.

, Compared with the Waitemata area, which is about the size of Whakatane, Cr ? Sullivan said that the district was being ' unjustly penalised. He quoted figures. In the Waitemata area two people were granted 56 units for lighting and heating but at Whakatane 47 units. Four people receiyed 58 units, Whakatane 49.

“It seems there is something very wrong somewhere. I have gone through the consumption figures for .Boards with quota systems but in each case Whakatane is saving more and yet we are supposed to foe 15. per cent over the allocation. If that is the case then I say quite definitely that Whakatane is not getting the power,” Cr Sullivan declared.

He continued: “If you will give me permission I will suggest to the electricity controller when I am in Wellington that the council will put Whakatane on a quota system provided it is put on the same allocation as Waitemata or Rotorua.”

Mr Sullivan said that he had already spoken to the controller who had urged that the only way to save power was by the individual quota system. Better results were ’being obtained by Boards who had adopted that method of savm" “That is probably so,” Cr Sullivan remarked, ‘.‘but on Whakatane’s present allocation it is impossible to put the town on such, a system.” Mr Sullivan said he ' felt sure Whakatane had a case and he was willing to make the approach if given permission. Nothing Done

Cr H. G. Warren pointed out that "when the Council had been asked to cut consumption it had done •so and had taken it the only way—by introducing cuts, worse than other districts in New Zealand- However it was thought at the time that the power authorities would review the position but so far nothing had been done.

“We cannot do any more than we are doing now,” he added. “We have been to Wellington and placed the position before the authorities but have received no satisfaction.' If the town had the same number of units as Waitemata it could cut out cuts altogether, the town clerk, Mr L. D. Lovelock, said.

Cr Warren: That is. so but we must have a bigger allocation. Cr R. T. Morpeth said that Cr Sullivan’s offer was a good one and the Council should take advantage of it but before anything was done he thought that a consultation should be held with the Power Board.

If that was the case Cr Sullivan asked that he be notified as soon as possible.

Councillors Suffer In Power Cuts Too

PUBLIC OPINION SHOWS A DESIRE FOR QUOTA SYSTEM

The public opinion poll sponsored last week by the Whakatane Citizens’ Association produced some interesting replies and opinions. The poll was designed to test public feeling and the circular was sent to about one-third of the residents in the Whakatane Borough with the object .of reaching a fair cross section of the population. Most people appeared to favour the introduction of some quota system. Mothers of babies and young children were quite definite that the present cuts are most hurtful to overworked parents and young children. Most Returned ’ About 250 circulars were despatched and over three-quarters of these have been returned. Only three have no opinion to express but one of these, the mother of two young children, says that she would be in favour of an individual quota system if she thought that essential requirements in different cases

WHAKATANE NOT GETTING RIGHTFUL POWER QUOTA SAYS Cr W. SULLIVAN: APPROACH TO CONTROLLER WANTED

could be estimated reasonably accurately.

Many suggestions for saving power were put forward. These vary from a proposal to harness the Rangifaiki River to a system for rationing power to public halls. One woman suggested the installation of more coal ranges. A resident who voted against the individual quota scheme wrote: —• “I prefer to leave this matter to the Council whom I know from experience are doing their best to get the Government to increase our allowance. The quota rationing would cause a lot of complaints similar to Auckland.” Another man of the same opinion, said that the number of consumers in Whakatane is not sufficient for an individual quota system to work properly. One very cautions resident states that his approval of the quota system is subject to further information and quite a number of replies indicate that many people fear that the careful consumer will be cut for the benefit of the wasteful ones. A large number of residents indicate that they believe that the individual quota system is the onlv fair way.

Amusing Replies Many of the replies were amusing and quite definite. Here are some of them: —

“Cuts as now applied cause chaos at mother’s busiest time. Suggest ban of luxury appliances if quota insufficient for essentials. (Other remarks censored as being both blasphemous and obscene).” “If its true that its only the evil doers who loveth darkness, then its time our councillors mended their ways.”

“Are our City fathers that rationing will adversely affect some of the modern all-electric homes housing very small fahiilies? Would the clerical work be more than is invalued say in Auckland?” “Auckland had. surplus of units after rationing was instituted.” “Glad to see someone takes an interest (other than for their own benefit) in local affairs.” The present system of cuts still permits the extravagant use of power without helping the careful consumer.”

Power Cuts Must Not Stop Industry

Last thing that was wanted was for industry to have to stop through power cuts Cr Sullivan told the monthly meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council. He said he had discussed the power situation with the electricity controller, who had made it quite clear that industry was to be kept going. “I told him that unless the power position improved industry might have to be closed down for a period each week at Whakatane,” Mr Sullivan revealed. When the controller had heard that he said that industry was not to be stopped.

Councillors were responsible men who would not have instituted power cuts if they could , have been avoided the deputy-mayor, Cr Cl S. Armstrong, said at the monthly meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council when replying to complaints by some people over the cuts.

Peopleforget that councillors suffer just as much, he added. Many had young families and the cuts caused them inconvenience too but they had deliberately introduced the restrictions to save the town in the only way possible. The council was doing its best for the people.