Attentive Hearing Is Given Mayor At Big Public Meeting

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

Attentive Hearing Is Given Mayor At Big Public Meeting

An appeal to the*Association and to the people of Whakatane to get behind the borough council in its fight to have the whole of the power allocation system throughout New Zealnd overhauled was made by the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, at a public meeting of the Whakatane Citizens’' Association last night, when he explained the power position as it existed at Whakatane at, the.present time.. The meeting was one of the largest held in the town for some time and Mr Barry was given an attentive hearing. At the conclusion-"of his address an enthusiastic vote of thanks was passed.

Mr Barry explained in detail reasons for power cuts at Whakatane and pointed out that the borough allocation was so small it was impossible to run an individual quota system. The council had studied the position carefully and unless there was a change of circumstances it did not intend to change its present policy. Every effort had been made to'’ have Whakatane’s allocation increased but without success.

Mr Barry said that the council was now fighting to have the whole of the electricity allocation system throughout New Zealand completely overhauled so that consumers in each supply area would have . the same power facilities as their neighbours.

Mr Barry answered several questions and then two motions were passed. The first was that the Association should back any move that the borough council might make to the Minister of State Hydro-Electricity asking; for an overhaul of the allocation system of power to districts in New Zealand. The second motion was that the Association should make a direct approach to the Minister of State Hydro-electricity and the Hon. W. Sullivan, M.P., asking for a complete overhaul of the system 6f allocation of power jto districts throughout New Zealand.