CORRESPONDENCE. HOURS OF SLEEP.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 March 1928, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

HOURS OF SLEEP.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your correspondent “Verb Sap ’ ’ was conimendably brief in his letter referring to daylight saving, but he made one egregious error when he asked could we not leave the children out of it when we' discussed the merits or demerits of daylight saving. That is just what we cannot do. It is all very well to say that when we were vo.»y young we went to bed wh.-ti we wire told to go, irrespective, of whetner it was daylight or dark, bur the fact remains That many •children who were getting up an hour earlier than usual under Side3 r time were going to bed an hour later. “Verb Sap” may declare that that represents weakness on the part of 'the parents and I will agree with him—though I will reserve to myself the right to suspect that he is not a parent —but the .fact remains 'that the children were' going to bed later. I supported a trial for 'Sidey time in the 'belief that .it was in the interests of the health of the nation, but I can no longer persuade myself of the truth of that. When you are considering national health and well-being you can not “leave the children out of it.” .Say what you like about their* parents, but don’t rob them of any sleeping hours. I am, etc., — WOMEN AND 'CHILDREN FIRST. SOUTH TARANAKI POWER BOARD (To the Editor.)(Sir, —In reference to the purchase of the plant of the Hawera • Electric Light Company by the (South Taranaki Electric Power Board I agree with yourself and vour correspondent (Mr Gane) that it is time th e ratepayers “woke u.p and had a look around,” but I differ from either of you in that I do not believe any dire calamity is im. minent, or even in prospect, whether or not the ratepayers and consumers slumber on. To the average intellect (embracing myself) it would seem that, unless the purchase is seriously bungled and the works correspondingly mismanaged afterwards, the rates charged by the company for current should be ample to provide interest and the usual proportion of sinking fund on a loan largely in excess of the mere valuation of the plant. Of course, the board members will have to bear in mind that consumers—in town, alt any rate —do not anticipate continuance of the present schedule, which ranges from 2d to lOd per unit, and with, many varied in-iees in between. It has always appeared to me that the company conforms in its practices to certain professions, the members of which, according tc. an alleged humorist, first study their “victims” and base their charges on the opinion arrived at as to the extent of “bleeding” the person can stand. Consequently.-we find the “poor cow' cockie” slips through on the minimum rate, and the “affluent business man” in town behaves like a chicken and gets the prescribed treatment—in other words, pays the maximum, notwithstanding that his area is the more cheaply reticulated.

Mr Gane should realise that even a private company employs a consulting engineer in certain contingencies, such as the planning and execution of new work on a defined scale, and the board members will probably be first to agree with him that the necessity for such an appointment does not exist here. His contention, however, that private administration is better and more economical than public receives a direct negative in Taranaki province, where he will find municipal enterprise supplying electric current up to fifty per cent, cheaper than does the Hawera •Company. Were his claim correct, Hawera ought to be the cheapest place in the province to 'live in, the borough owning no public utility; yet it is the •rulv town or township in Taranaki that depends on kerbside pumps for its street lighting between midnight and dawn. There has been no sentiment allowed to intervene in the company’s dealings, with the public, and similarly ratepaj r ers and consumers will look to the board to carry through the transference on a strictly business footing. —1 am, etc., K.V.A.