POWER BOARD AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 20322, 2 November 1929, Page 12

POWER BOARD AFFAIRS

THE LAWRENCE RESOLUTION HOT SUPPORTED BY BALCLUTHA COUNCIL IFkOM Oun COBEESVOXDESII.] BALCLUTHA, November 1. The affairs of the Otago Electric Power Board were the subject of discussion at the monthly meeting of the Balclutha Borough Council on Wednesday night. ( ’ Messrs R.’ C. Hall and T. Corry, chairman of the Lawrence and Waitahuna branches of the Farmers’ Union, forwarded a resolution asking the council’s co-operation in demanding that an economic and financial investigation be made into the affairs of the Power Board. They also asked that the council appoint a delegate to wait on the board with the Lawrence area deputation on November 12.

The Mayor (Mr S. V. White): Well, gentlemen, though we might not all feel satisfied with the charges made by the board, I think the board is endeavouring to do its best for consumers and ratepayers. Cr Hunter: They might bring down that capacity charge. Cr Kean said that one could not help feeling, after reading the correspondence in the paper about the board’s affairs, that there was a considerable personal element in it as between Mr Thompson and the board’s engineer. The board should, perhaps, never have existed. However, the board did exist,

and they had to make the best of it. The Lawrence area people had got the power, and were now asking the other areas to help them to pay for it. lie did not see why they should help them. The Power Board had given the Borough Council a very fair spin in connection with its waterworks power, and he thought the council should express its appreciation to the hoard, instead of taking up a hostile attitude, as the Lawrence people were doing. Ho moved that the letter be received. Cr M'Lintock said that there certainly was a good deal of discontent amongst the farming community regarding the past actions of the board, and he thought they could do no harm by appointing a delegate. There were also a number of complaints about the discourtesy of the board’s officials. He moved accordingly. Cr Kean contended that it would be a slur on the borough member if toe board to appoint ii delegate. Cr M'Lintock said he was not >.ug gesting that they should appoint a delegate to simply agree with the views of the Lawrence people. He did not think it would be a slur on their loral member, but if they appointed a delegate he might bo able to assist their member to materially alter what happened when the board was foimcu. The Mayor said he thougnb thenmember would be quite ©leased to give them any information they desired at any time. He seconded Cr Kean’s motion.

Cr Copland said that if Uicy sent a delegate he did not think he ('Mould join up with the Lawrence people and support their view. Cr Hunter: If you agree to send a delegate as they ask, you are supporting them. Cr Watt said the local member rep.esented the ratepayers of B<ik.i xtha Borough and Clutlm County, and not the Borough Council. The Lawrence people had not given any lead in --heir letter, and it was hard to say what their proposals might resolve Into. If their intention was to give the board a general slating, then he was against sending a delegate. The Power Board was the representive of the ratepayers, and the ratepayers had their alternative if they felt they were not being properly represented. As far as the collection of the rates was concerned, -he council was only acting for the board in the matter, and receiving 5 per cent, for collecting them. Cr Wight seconded GT M'Lintock’s motion. It was not necessary o join with Lawrence. The Mayor; I have a feeling that + i;c Lawrence people propose to go to the meeting and slate the board, and I think the council can get all the satisfaction it wants by drafting a strong letter if necessary. Cr M‘Lintock: If the board has nothing to hide no harm can be done in supporting the request for an investigation. Cr Watt: Who is going to pay the cost of the investigation? If we support the request for it we will be asked to pay our share of it. An investigation may take weeks and weeks, and who is going to foot the bill? _ Cr Keen thought they would be doing a wrong thing by sending a delegate. By supporting the Lawrence people they were going to increase the rates of their own area instead of decreasing them. The board had given the boron "h a good spin, and he thought they would be foolish to support an investigation of alleged mismanagement unless they were qualified to do so by facts. Cr Hunter thought they might approach the board on their own behalf if thev desired. He was inclined to agree "that the correspondence had a personal element in it. The board’s replies to the statements seemed to prove the necessity for what the board bad done. The Lawrence people went into the board’s district with their eyes ° P Cr* Gormack thought they could get more satisfaction by asking the local member, the chairman, and the engineer to state the position to them, Cr M'Lintock said lie would agree to that course. ~ , It was then decided to receive the Gorraack said it seemed to him

that the Lawrence people wanted them to shoulder part of their load, and he did not think that they should do it. He moved that the local board member, the chairman’ of the board, and the engineer be invited to address a meeting in Balclutha. Cr Copland, in seconding, said that a discussion with the ratepayers might lead to some economies or increased consumption. The motion was carried. Later it was decided to send a letter of appreciation to the Power Board for agreeing to the council’s request that power for the waterworks pumping plant be granted at the night rate from 5.30 p.m. to 7 a.m., instead of only from midnight to 7 a.m., and for the co-operation of the board’s engineers in the matter.

Cr Copland said he thought Cr Keen should also be thanked for making the arrangement. Cr Keen said that if it was not for this arrangement, reservoir or no reservoir, they could not have coped with the present demand for water, and there would have been great danger in the event of a lire breaking out in the early part of the night. . Cr Gormaek said ..it had been found that some days over 100,000 gallons of water were being used.