LAKE COLERIDGE CURRENT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 9 June 1914, Page 7

LAKE COLERIDGE CURRENT.

v COST TO BIG USERS,

QUESTION BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.

AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION

Th City Council last night received a letter from Mr G. M.-Hall. who wrote stating that tho Ileathcote County Council had a suction sas plant for ! the pumping and electric lighting scheme for -.tho Cashmere riding, and it was claimed that the. plant could dovelop power at the rate of Jd per B.H.P. per hour (o-16d por unit). The writer asked if tho Council would supply power between midnight and 6 a.m. at id per unit, and if so, were thero any conditions attached to using power during that period only, also would tho Council supply one unit per annum for £6 10s., and, if so, did that mean that the purchaser of that unit could uso current from January let to December

31st. Tho Council's electrical engineer made tho following reply: — 1. The Council have already decided to bupnly electricity for power purposes at id ix>r unit between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. to special consumers of, say, 20 kilowatts and over without any further restrictions. No arrangements, however, have yet been niado with the Heathcoto County Council for supplying electrical onergy within its boundaries. 2 Tho Council could also supply currant at *6 per kilowatt (or unit) per aunuiu.Muaximum dumaiid, plus a iracuon oi a Id according to the laud rating and whether the supply is tor power lighting or both combined. Councillor Scott said the letwr should be Kent on to tho Heathcoto County Council. The City Council had no right to deal with the matter or to Ret a report from the electrical engineer. Or Burgoyne said tho Council could not refuse to give information to any party wlio applied for #• *%.:«» Or. Scott said thero was something behind the request. Tho information applied for should first of all bo sent to the Heathcote Council. Cr Millar said he, did not ccc why the Council should refuse to give information to possible customers. Cr. Scott said he was not interested in the matter at all, and he objected to a remark to that offecv make by Cr. Millar. ~ , Cγ. Millar retorted that if the cap fitted, Cr. Scott could pull it down to. his eyes. Cr. McGombs eaid it would be unwis.o to deal with the niatter until the Council wero in full possession of all the facts. Cr. Haywjvrd said tho Conncil at present had no power to sell current beyond the city, »ud consequently no information could be given to any outside party as to the cost of tho current.

Cr. Scott said that ho did not eeo how the information could havo been obtained- seeing that the committee itself had not fixed the rates. The Mayor stated that tho rate was fixed by tho Council somo considerable time ago. . Referring to the circumstances leading up to the request, tho Mayor said that Mr Hall, who was a ratepayer in tho Cflshmoro Riding of the Hleathcote County, "liad called on him regarding tho Council's charges for current. Ho bad supplied Mr Hall with the printed ecaloj also the cost-of current for ueo between 12 and C a.m., namely, Id per uiijt. The aexs afternoon a deputation from the Heathcoto Council waited lofc him, _a.nd he gave them the same information, and they went away apparently convinced that the Heathcote Council could not supply at so cheap a. rate. A conference was held between Mr Hall and the Heathcote Council, and Mr Hall assured him that the Council could not supply him at any- '?§ *% the came. rate as the cffcy could. The Mayor added he thoueKt the Council should give every possible encouragement to outeidors to uso the current. . - ™

Cγ. Taylor said the discussion showed there was a conflict fif opinion between the Heathoot© Council and potential power-users in the county regarding tho pnce to J? e for Coleridge current. The incident should warn the people in all the outside districts to investigate for- themselves first of all tho Council's proposition, before agreeing to take current in ajry other way. He took it that what the writer wanted was a verification of what' ha was informed was the. Council's charges, If any bargain was entered into it would have to be with the Heathc#tp Council in the first instance ■ ■ ,

Cr. Scott said the letter should be referred to ihp Heatfccote Council. The Jotter would indicate that the Heathcote Council v/oe doing nothing, whereas a great deal had already been dono, and preparations wore made in readiness for when the -Lake Coleridge .current arrived.

Cr. Hunter said tho Council could not deal both with local bodies and with privato pooplo in outside districts.

Cγ. Gfcley said the Council had no right to interfere with the possible customers of tho fleathcQto County Council. : .

The Mayor said all tho writer wanted to know was whether the Council could supply cheaper than the Heathcote Council, or not,. It was a proper enquiry.

Cr. Otley repeated that the City Council should not interfere between an outeide local body and its possible customers.x

Cr. Soronsen said ho asxvr no harm in the request made, and could not understand what Or. Scott could object to.

The Council decided to refer tho letter to tho Eloctricity Committee.

SUPPLY TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

Tho* Klectricity Committee reported to the City Council last night that it had reconsidered tho proposed charges for current supplied to other local authorities, and recommended that tho following be submitted to the conference which it was proposed to hold on the 6th instant, as tho basis for an agreement to supply:—

(1) The ch&rgee for current to coceupen in other local authorities' dittrioU to bo tli* same as thow charged to consumers in the city, nine any addition to po made under Clause i he:eof.

(2) The Chr:et-churcli City Council to reed all met.ors, and collect all account*, and do all the work of admhuetration, and be re. Eponsible for maintenance of the reticulation.

(3) Each local authority to raise the necessary loan for reticulating its district, and provide the interest and einkicj; fund on the loan raised. These charges would be m additiort to tboee for current mentioned >o Clause 1 hereof.

<■*) Each local authority to fix the earn to b*> added to the cbaigen mentioned in Clause 1 hereof for the provision al interest and einkinjr fund. (o) The Chrietciuircb City Council ehvl supervise the wo:k of reticulating the eeTtral djstrcts; a charge of 6 per cent, on th* capital coat of reticulation, etc., to b* paid b>- tho local authority for engineering supervision.

(6) In the event of the charges _t* oonin the city bein? increased or "reduced, the charges to local authoritiea to b« varied accordingly.

Or. Reynolds complained that on the terms offered the local bodies could not afford to retail tho current at anything like the City Council could. The cost of reticulation would add materially to tho total annual cost to ....o outside bodies. He did not think tho

outside bodies would ooxno in if the 'cJi&igos as recommended were adopted. Cγ. Taylor said Jio did not think lor a Qtontont that tiio east to tho outside bodies would bo anything like as high as Cr. Reynolds reared. 'ihc matter had been considered carefully at length by the Electricity Committee, and what was proi«os«?d was tho best bargain that could bo ottered, consistent with safety to the city. Cr. Scott proposed an additiotfcl c.laubo to the effect that a loral area joifiing tlio city after reticulation should conio in on tho same terms as to current supply as existed in the city. Cγ. Taylor suggested that tho rlaitso should be re/ornxl to the Klretricity Conunitteo. To saw no objection to tho clause.

Tho Council decided to refer tho proposed new; clause to llio committee with power to art.