THE POWER BOARD

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3792, 9 August 1932, Page 5

THE POWER BOARD

Makes a Concession TO RELIEF WORKERS IF IT HAS POWER TO DO SO FOR FI,EOT RIO I,TOUT F.XC IN KER’S PROBI-FM OF discremix ation Tho Manawatu Oroua. Electric Power lleai'ct yesterday (leekfeel that, provide.l i| could. do: soi, it, wouldi abolish tho minimum charge of 4s 6d for electric power in respect of registered rolief workers throughout its district and to a«l4 them to pay for *,n|y suc-h etc: Irir.fiv as they used. FROM' FFIT.niXG This was the concession. seemed hy a. deputation consisting of Messrs AT. A. Salt, T>. Byrne and 0. Ala,ntcll, representing the Ik ildino- relief workers’ committee. WHAT WAS WANTED Air Byrne. who sponsored the abolition of the minimum charge of ■As '.id a mouth, ,-rated that in many cases only 2s worth of electricity was used in the summer months. What, they warned was to he charged for vvuij tle V consumed only. From October to March he. had paid 12s Id more for his, light and |> ,wer than he bad actually used. DISCOUNT DAY Mr Mantel! spoke of the need for an ext, rtsion of the discount day, rfating that many relief workers did not get tlie r pay until alter the discount. day had passed. A list of names could he sent to flic office, infer milng? the hoard >«f 'thocie men who had not. been paid until after the.' discount day. THE SAFEGUARD Air Salt, spoke in support, and said that a list of those actually on rel : ef work should he a sufficient safeguard The speaker also asked the hoard to give cons deration jo a. request for the spreading over a period of payments that householders had to make in the matter of repairs to e.ornee fi'-n, and installations demanded by the hoard’:? inspectors, THE DTSCrSSTOX Tho chairman (Mr O. AlcElroy) said tht hoard was always synn--r- pathetic wiih the relief workers.and could g\ve, careful c ins id''rat ion to the lequcsjs. Air \\ . R. Bickers agreed that the minimum charge was striking relief workers very hard. Iu answer- to the chin,-man, the engineer <AIr W. A. Water?) said it would he difficult to know how to discriminate. Air J. A. Nash. AT. I’., said that in a report the engineer had submitted to tin board it had been pointed out that a reduction of i? would involve £(Vjo 6s. the number of minimum charges being 12.306. Air M. A. Eliott consdered that the board would have power to make u reduction of the minimum to registered relief workers, and moved accordingly. In time.? like the present the board should do all it oculd to help these men. Afcssrs Bicker?) and f\ G. C. T)ermrr voiced similar opinions. THE OTHER ITEMS The matter of the extended discoinq. day wa s left in the hands of jbe. secretary, to use his discretion. Tim secretary reported that there would tie no difficulty as regards the collection of installaik-ou payments in instalments.