DUEL OVER LIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 22069, 1 July 1935, Page 8

DUEL OVER LIGHT

CITY COUNCIL AND POWER BOARD CUT OFF AT MIDNIGHT (Per United Press Association.] PALMERSTON N., July 1. . Following the failure of the City Council and the Power Board to reach an agreement on the_ terms of bulk supply after long negotiations, the city at midnight refused to take power from the board under the conditions laid down. Acting under instructions from the board’s solicitors, the > supply was interrupted on the No. 1 line (through which Palmerston North received its supply) at midnight, and the City Council was advised that if it wished to take further supply from the board, all it had to do was to close the switch outside the power house on the No. 2 line, which had been left unlocked to enable it to resume supply on this jine with only a few seconds’ interruption. This supply, however, would only be available on the basis of the board’s last offer. Palmerston North did not draw any power, and restored the city’s lights from its own plant. The board’s point of view _on the situation now is that both lines are alive to the power house, and both switches unlocked ready for the council to resume taking power when it thinks fit. . . . The mayoral statement, given just after the dramatic incidents at midnight, contained the following:—“ At one minute to 12 information was given that the old contract bad terminated, and that power would be available by operating a switch which is the Power Board’s property, but only on the terms of the board’s last offer. Firstly, this was not acceptable; because, without legal advice, we would not interfere with the Power Board’s switches, and, secondly, because the terms are unacceptable to the City Council.” The City Council is to-day submitting the matter to the court at Wellington, and applying for an injunction. Already this morning several interruptions of the power supply have occurred.