CORRESPONDENCE

Feilding Star, Volume 8, Issue 2401, 10 April 1931, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE

MR cry AND THE POWER BOARD (To the Editor. Star.) Sir.—When Air P. G. Guy was standi hat lop Ihe Power Board two years ago the na l vote wldch was nt>t:e>al>!e in his eouduei of the campaign was pardonable o n the ground of .'nexperienee ami want of knowledge. Now, however, he has had two years’ experience and information al‘V lding’s representative and accordingly cannot be held to be ignorant of vVM matters affectihg tlie Board. I have waited a. lAtle time to see if lie would make any it ara cl ion of the astounding -stand he took at the public meeting held on March JO, last, to consider presenting a- pet:lion to the Board for a redaction of electric charges, when according to a Press report, Mr Guy, as chairman of the meeting, said that tlie profits obtained by Palmerston from its electrical department - “were en.joyed through the portion it held in relat*on to the Board and the -speaker hold that those profit- came really from Fei fifing and tlie country dist rjc-t s, ’ * "Was ihere ever such a ridiculous statement made by a public man on Power Board matters? Obviously, jf Palmerston increased its charges, say, half a s much aga 'n H would make much more profit, hut- the rest oj the Area would not benefit a- penny. Oil the other hand, if it decreased Us charges hy, say, one half, it would make a loss Die rest ol the area would not lese a penny. •Further, if the Power Board refus. ed to supply Palmerston at present l-ates, hut declared it must pay mere, obviously again, Palmerston would at once apply Lo ihe Government for its supply at present rates, AND GET THEM, in Ml probability, so that the last state of the Power Board will he worse than the first. It would lose any chance of making some profit from the diversity that will sorno time arise What * nonsense therefore, for Mr Guv to dechare publicly that Palmerston’s profits “came really from Feilding and the country districts.” At that public meeting ho persuaded those present, to get up a pofi-tir-n to the Board to reduce prices, i, for one. refuse to sign any such petition, for various reasons. One ol which is, that the Board has again and again reiterated Hs promise, lbsdosire. its declared policy that as sobn as it can reduce its charges R wdl. Of all iv.cn that know this. Mr Guy knows host , hying h eliding s representative thereon. Of course, ihe Board members are desirous of reducing prices. X Tie oi them would benefit personally, like the rest of its They will reduce as soon as they can, whether petitions are presented or not. It is, therefore, n , waste of time and money gelling up a petition. The last balance sheet showed the Board made only £348 profit. The year just ended, owing to the slump, is not likely to he hotter. Rut very soon the cutting down of t) o peak load- hy meter clocks and pilot wires to wafer heaters wdl so race th.e financial position that it will not he long before the Board will reduce prices. The petitions now being signed will not help or mar the position. They wdl make no differ one? whatever. Air Guy has lately publicly stated that fie i* against striking a rate over property (to make up for any loss or reduced prices), therefore, in the name of eommon sense, how doe* he think the- Board ran reduce prices before it is financially nh'e? Thanking you in anticipation, —T am. etc.. J. S. TTXGFY.