Hydro-Electric Power

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 229, 12 September 1923, Page 4

Hydro-Electric Power

THE WAIKAREMOANA SCHEME. HASTINGS AND HAVELOCK. ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE BOARD. .. I 1 1? Hastings Borough Council and the Havelock North Town Board niel in conference at the Hastings Borough Council Chambers last night, to consider tho attitude to l>e assumed towards th© Hawke’s Bay Hydro-Electric H ? w . cr Ihiard, in connection with the Waikareinoana scheme. The Mayor of Hastings presided and th©re were also present Messrs. Phillips (chair man, Havelock Town Board), Nimon, J. H .foil, and Sefton, representing Havelock North, and Crs. P. M. Cohr I. A. Ganry, A. J. Kirkham, 1/. W’ bowler, J. Simmons, N. H. Beatson and E. \\. Cook, representing the borough. After discussion it was decided to endorse the action of the Havelock I own Board and not to circulate the p<‘tition until absolute assurance was H’eeiyed that the rating clause would not lx- included and that they lie in ioi'jTwd as to the cost of the current. J he Hastings Council did not go so for as to withdraw its representative from th© Board. CENTRAL POWER BOARD. BULK SUPPLY FOR WATPI’KURAI’ As the result of negotiations an agreement has been reached between the Central Hawke’s Bay Power Board and the Waipukurau Borough Council lor the supply of current in hiilk to the borough. A special meeting of the Board was held at Waipukurau last night. Mr. C. Pattison presided and Messrs. T. Butler, J. A. Kerr I-' | Witherow, A. C. Russell, W Malenoir' E. A. Goodger and \V. H. Rathbone were also present. Lhe terms agreed upon comprise a charge of £l2 per hors© power, phis Id per unit; a minimum payment of £o0() quarterly, period of contract 20 years; the Board not to enter (he borough to supply electricity: and the prices to be contingent on the charge lor current to the Board by the Government. The only stipulation made by th© Bordugh Council was that the Board secure the approval of the Public Works Department to the agreement not less thah one week before the poll. .'Fhe chairman expressed satisfaction with the settlement of the question, and hoped that all would work in amity to make the scheme a success. Mr" Goodger. who is also Mavor of Waipukurau, declared that as the Borough Council had accepted the terms he would be .prepared to help in carrying the poll. He was pleased that an agreement had been arrived at and believed the scheme would be for the benefit of the whole district. Mr. T. Butler, who has consistently opposed any arrangement with Waipukurau, remarked that Mr. Goodger ought to be pleased; he had got what he wanted. Mr. Goodger replied that the terms wore not the terms the borough should have got. The agreement was the best that could be got from “a hard lot.” Mr. Butler: 1 give you credit for what you have done; you have been the boss of the show from the start to th© finish. Mr. Goodger added that tho Board would make a- good profit out of the borough and he hoped that Mr. Butler would live long enough to rejoice over what was made out of the borough. Various arrangements wore made for propaganda work in connection with the loan poll on October 3rd. A •schedule of charges was agreed upon covering lighting and power current, the former being on a basis of lOd per unit and the latter at 3d downwards, with special concessions for certain power uses. HAVELOCK’S WITHDRAW’AL. The position of the Havelock North town district in relation to the proposed Hawke’s Bay Electric Powers Board is clearly shown by the following letter which has been forwarded to the secretary of the provisional committee set up to form the Powers Board, and is the outcome Qf much deliberation on the part of the Town Board: — I am instructed to advise you my Board have very carefully considered the fuestion of Havelock North being incorporated in the Hawke’s Bay Powers Board area of supply. As you are aware, my Board has recently installed a hydro-electric plant, at a cost of approximately £20,000. Ln addition to this amount my Board has from time to time spent over £4OOO in reticulating the Town Board area. Aa in the opinion of my Board th© power provided by the hydro-electric plant will provide all current required by the town district for some years to come, they feel, that in the interests of the ratepayers of the district, the town area must be definitely kept out of the Powers Board area, and consequently withdraw their delegate from the Provisional Power Board Committee and request that all reference to the Havelock North town district be deleted from th© petitiqp.