A PROBLEM SOLVED

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 254, 10 July 1926, Page 23

A PROBLEM SOLVED

VOLTAGE CHANGE OVER APPEALS NEW DECISION OF CITY COUNCIL The vexed question of appeals in connection with the cost of work done under the electrical change-over (front 105 volts to 280 volts) received further consideration by the City Council at a very early hour on Thursday morning. As the result the Mayor (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood) stated yesterday that the council had decided, on the recommendation of the Tramways Committee, (without allocation to the Government regulations) to give _ the right to any householder who wishes to appeal against the changes or allocations made by officers of the council in this connection. If the consumer is dissatisfied with the contract submitted by the City Council’s inspeclo>r, he may appeal in the first place to the officer-in-charge of the Electric Lighting Department, (Mr. G. Lauchlan), and, if dissatisfied with that officer’s decision (after the latter has made full investigation), he may, on depositing £1 Is. have his case submitted to an officer of the Public Works Department, providing that the amount involved is less than £lO 10s. If it is over £lO 10s. and under £3O, he is required to deposit the sum of £2 2s. If over £3O the case shall be investigated by the Appeal Board, as constituted in ' the regulations, and should the consumer be unable to substantiate his claim for the reduction of his account, his deposit shall be forfeited. Should, however, the arbitrator find that a reduction of 10 per cent, is warranted, the deposit shall be returned, and the amount ot the charge reduced in accordance with the finding. On the other hand, should the reduction made bv the arbitrator be less than 10 per cent., the apeal shall be regarded as trivial, in which case the deposit will not be returned. The Mayor stressed the fact that should a consumer consider the charges made by the Electric Lighting Department excessive, there is always the opeit alternative of getting a price for the work from a private firm, and should that price be less than the department’s, the cost of the City Council’s share of the work would be reduced proportionately. This proposal was made and agreed to subject to the Government agreeing to allow one of its Public Works officers to act in the capacity of arbitrator. In referring generally to the .work in connection with the changeover and its cost to individual consumers, the Mayor said that the_ average charges to the consumers in 4000 houses changed-over had been £2 14s. Bd.