ELECTRIC POWER

Evening Post, Issue 73, 23 September 1936, Page 7

ELECTRIC POWER

TOWN AND COUNTRY

UNIFORM CHARGE NEEDED

The need for some uniform charge for electric power throughout the Dominion was emphasised by Mr. J. Hodgens (Government, Palmerston North) . during the debate on the Public Works ■ Statement in the House of Representa--1 tives last night. Mr. Hodgens said that the public ser- • vices of New Zealand expressed in 2 roads, railways, bridges, and electric - power lines needed many more mil- ■ lions of money expended on them be- ; fore the country could be said to be ' completely free from further public : works expenditure. Railways render- ' ed a service to the community and to > industry and the time had past when they were expected to pay. One could ' not measure in money the service they • gave to the community. He com- ' mended the Minister of Public Works ' for his attitude in respect to the aboli--1 tion on big jobs of the long-handled ; shovel and wheelbarrow. It was possible for them in the future to see the \ long-handled shovel as an exhibit in : the National Art Gallery. Mechanical appliances would do the work in the future. Mr. Hodgens dealt with hydro-elec-tric power schemes, and in reply to an interjection laughingly remarked that up to a week ago he was Deputy-Mayor j of Palmerston North and chairman of the electricity committee. "There was an inquiry," he added, "and I was dumped." He wanted to see a policy whereby the town and country were drawn together and not driven apart. Previous Ministers of Public Works had driven a wedge between rural and urban interests. He said there were 43 electric power boards, 29 borough councils, 5 county councils, 5 town boards, and 6 private companies distributing electricity in the Dominion. For all intents and purposes hydroelectricity was controlled by the people, and there was no real control by vested interests. The State had £13,000,000 invested in hydro-electric schemes, local bodies £18,000,000, and he saw no' reason why all electricity authorities should not work conjointly in the interests of consumers. There was no uniform charge per kilowatt, and he blamed the Public Works Department. In one portion of the country the charge per kilowatt was £5 and in another district £9. The first thing that the present Government should do was to see'that there was a uniform charge per kilowatt throughout the Dominion, and proper provision could then be made for standby plants, etc.