ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1927, Page 3

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

CHARGES IN PORIRUA

PROTEST BY RESIDENTS

Consumers of electricity at Porirua are much concerned over what is alleged to be the injustice of the Hutt Valley Power Board in making a minimum charge of 7s per month against all users of electric current in %h.& district.

In order to safeguard itself against persons using so little current as to make it not worth while the board incurring the cost of meter-reading, the board exercises its privilege of making a minimum charge whether current is used or not. In closely settled districts the minimum charge is ss, and in sparsely-settled areas 7s; the board contending that the cost of administration is much heavier in scattered areas.

When Porirua was first supplied the minimum charge was 7s 6d, but afterwards a representative of the district was successful in getting a reduction to ss, and for a time consumers enjoyed the lower charge. This state of affairs did not last long, the motion being rescinded in favour of a 7s charge. Mr. E. Windley, as a'member'of the board, has been a persistent and consistent advocate of the 5s minimum.

Yesterday a deputation of consumers from Porirua and Tawa' Flat waited on the board and presented a petition^ signed by 50 consumers placing -their case before the board.

Mr. Cocker said the deputation was the result of a meeting'of practically the whole of the consumers. The district considered it had been most, unjustly and^dishonourably treated. There was no township -which had so" many ■consumers in proportion to its population as Porirua, and the people had been definitely promised at a public meeting, and he had also been privately, assured by members and officials of the board that the charge would be ss, and yet an extra charge of 2s was being made. The district was on the main line, and therefore the line construction was cheap, and the people were at a great loss to understand the extra charge There was very strong feeling. It was considered that the board had dealt in a dishonourable manner. ■

'We are used," said the speaker, "to deal with honourable men, and this is the treatment we receive.. The seamen who broke their agreement were sent to gaol, and yet members of the board are getting away with this breach." There were 80 consumers, and. all were good payers. s

Mr. Goldsmith said another sore P^' Wif the n?w tari^ which, increased the charge for current. Mr. Mexted said a definite promise had been publicly made of a 5s minimum. :

•. Messrs Dickie and Garner spoke on similar lines, and Mr. Eyan said the Xaf?*A was t ha t they were "only, the adopted children" of the board. Had tt«yK^^tSW'b!S.oaed ch"ilareV like off S si Gy ' th6y WOUId < ha^e Sot , r^ e chairman of the board (Mr. A J M'Curdy) said that-orirua was notthe onjy place which paid a 7s minimum. There were many places in the Hutt Valley ac well as in the western area which paid the higher rate. The diffia™7 T*^ scatt<*ed nature of the area and the consequent-high cost-of reduce the charge in the more thickly populated part, but nothing could be done^before the end of thf year; 31rt