PENINSULA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17750, 30 April 1923, Page 5

PENINSULA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

♦_ —. At its special meeting held recently, ,the Board considered the matter of defining a special rating. area, or inner area, in the Power Board's' district, which would carry a special rate. (Mr J. R.*Thacker was in the chair. • Pursuant to . notice of motion, Mr Geo. Armstrong moved: "That the resolution nasseu* at the' Board's meeting on .February' sth, 1322, be. j-uo letoiutiou read: "I'hat a Si-cliu.l rating are* os denned in terms of tuo tower xsoards . Act, J.sm-22, ana that, it necessary, a geneial rate be levied over tne whole rower iioard district as required by th 3 Act, unci a special rate levied, over tne epec-iai area so uetined." In speaking to his motion, Mr Armstrong said lie had at first thought there should j ba .-in inner area denned for rating pur- ; poses. Wow, however, he, was inclined to think that such a course would inflict great injustice on certain of the ratepayers. Tho proposed rate wouid be only %i small one, ana ho'hoped it would be necessary to levy it for one year on.y, so that It would not prove a burden, 'io rate over the who e . area, would cortumly fc»ve considerable ; trouble and expense. Mr W i' r'arkinson, in seconding the motion, remarked' that there were a num- . ber of people in' his district not now re- ; ceivins current, who would be included in the proposed area., .' Mr J D- Bruce pointed out that the main difficulty would be the- cost of defining the rating crea. Akaroa County had three areas defined. , The work had been done by the Valuation department at comparatively little cost. As a matter of simple equity, he contended that consumers should pay tho heavy rate, und that non- ■ consumers should be excluded / altogether. ! The rating area should 'certainly be defined if at all possible. To rate the whole area would be unfair and cause dissatisfaction . amongst ratepayers. Tho chairman said that if they had to define the rating area it would cost more than the rtfto was worth in the outer area. Ho had given thoughtful consideration to j the whole matter, and was now convinced | that the general rate was tho fairest lor all concerned. Tho motion was oarried, Mr Bruce recording his dissent. Mr Armstrong then gave notice to move at next ordinary meeting: "That a rate of one-eighth of a penny in the £ bo struck over the Board's whole area." Before closing, the chairman reported that Mr E. Hay, .of Pigeon Bay, had* offered tho Board ft site in Little River for their office and store, provided the costs of survey and transfer were borne by the Board. On Mr Parkinson's motion, the generous offer •was accepted -with thaaVs.