POWER FOR WESTLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 April 1946, Page 3

POWER FOR WESTLAND

MERGER WITH GREY DISTRICT PROPOSED NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN A step towards the amalgamation of the Grey and Westland power districts was taken by the Grey Electric Power’Soard at its meeting last evening, the chairman,. Mr. P. Blanchfield, giving notice of his intention to move at the next -meeting that the Grey Board recommend that the,two districts be amalgamated. This

step follows negotiations conducted between the boards for some time. A public meeting was held at Hokitika recently, and there was a protracted discussion on the proposal last evening.

The meeting held at Hokitika had been most successful, reported the chairman. Residents from South Westland as well as other districts had been present and there had been no sign whatever of parochialism. The people appeared to be very anxious to have power brought to them. Those at the meeting had been most satisfied with-the conditions and commended the Board for its gesture in sending a delegation to discuss the question. On the matter of tariffs they had seemed most pleased to know that in future they would be obtaining power at the same fates as charged at Grey mouth. Mr J. B. Kent explained that it should be made clear that one tariff would apply all over the district. There would be no difference anywhere.

Mr. W. Clayton, another member of the deputation, said that the people had realised the benefits they would receive by coming into the Grey Board’s area. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose. They hacTthought that the cost of taking over the area would be recovered by an extra charge imposed upon them .by the Board, and now the Board would be welcomed at any time. Name For Proceedings. Mr. L. N. Downes said that he understood that Mr. Kent had tried to avoid the use of the word “amalgamation.” Mr. Kent pointed out that it was only the matter of a name. The Grey Board was taking the Westland Board’s area into its own, but the name of the Grey Board would possibly be changed to the West Coast Board. The chairman said that this question had been a “bone of contention at Hokitika. They did not like it there, favouring the amalgamation of the two boards. He considered that “amalgamation” was the right word for the transaction was different from the Reefton one. It would only be a matter of months or years and the Grey Board would be known as the West Coast Board. Position at Reefton

Mr. Kent said he could see no difference between the Hokitika and Reefton transactions. Mr. Clayton replied that the power board at Reefton had never' functioned. Mr. Kent suggested that the same position applied at Hokitika. “It seems that we are at cross purposes,” said the chairman. Mr. Downes stated that in the Reefton transaction the word “amalgamation” was never mentioned. The Secretary, Mr. W. S. McClymont, revealed that the Reefton area was taken over under, a different section from that which dealt with the Hokitika transaction. The two were quite different, he said.

Question of Representation. Mr. Downes pointed out that the resolution adopted at the meeting at Hokitika had dealt with amalgamation and the residents there desired representation upon the Board. That aspect had not been considered m connection with Reefton. Mr. A. L. McKay stated that at Hokitika the Board was buying a company out and uniting the two districts. There was really no bother other than that of representation and that was the block upon which the whole thing rested. Mr. Downqs agreed that the district was entitled to representation. The chairman said that the total representation allowed on the Board was 12, and this would be allocated on a population basis. “It is certainly a bogey to say that the, district cannot have representation,” Mr. Kent said. Question of Procedure. Mr. W. McGilchrist asked what would be the first procedure? Would the Board buy out Mr. Langford’s company, after which the Westland Board would resign, or would the Board take over the area and then buy out the company?! The secretary indicated that both boards would have to give notice of motion that an amalgamation was proposed and then a new Board would be formed and the assets at Hokitika purchased. ' ' Mr. McKay gaid that the position was still confusing. The Westland Board had no assets whatsoever, but, amalgamated with the Grey Board, jwould propose to purchase the power company’s assets. Mr Kent suggested that nothing could be done until the board found out the position of the company. Mr Clayton said that the object of the board was to take power into every house in the province—it paid no dividends and it would not be right to sit in Greymouth and give cheap power and allow those in outside districts to “go to pot.” Mr. Kent pointed out that that had always been the policy of the board

Notice of Motion After further discussion on the difference between the Hokitika and .Reefton transactions, Mr. McKay said that the Board seemed to be agreeable to the districts being amalgamated and the formation of a new Board. The chairman' gave notice of the motion mentioned previously. He added that when he placed the motion before the next meeting the engineer, Mr S. W. J. Trotter, would have returned from Wellington, where he was making representations to the Government on the amalgamation proposals, and he would have details concerning the Westland district. The proposal could then be further discussed. ’