ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7542, 18 August 1902, Page 2

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

DISCUSSION AT THE COUNT? COUNCIL.

Cr Maunder, at the County Council meeting on Satnrday, said there had lately been a good deal of discussion in tha preßS on the subject of electric lighting. He was not interested in either the electric light or the gaß, but pointed out that in bills of the kind being forwarded on behalf of the Electric Lighting Company there was usually a clause making provision for the taking over, if desired, of the property of such oompanieß at a valuation. He considered the Council should do something in this direotion, and believed that if the attention of the House of Representatives was called to the matter it would receive consideration. By such a clause no harm would be done to anybody. He moved, That in the opinion of the Council a clause should be inserted in the bill empowering tha Council to take over, after Bay, ten years, the property of the Electric Lighting Company at a valuation, and that the member for the district be asked to endeavour to have such a clause passed. The Chairman did not see how the proposal could be carried into effect now, the Council having given the Syndicate the right it had applied for. Cr Boddie pointed out that the Council had only given the Syndicate permission to carry water under a county road. Or Maunder urged that it would be neglect of duty if nothing was done by the Council in the direction indicated by his motion.

The Chairman said the time to have attended to the question was when the matter of granting certain rights to the Syndicate first occupied the attention of the Council.

Cr Boddie seconded the motion. He pointed out that the tendenoy nowadays was in the direction of having lighting and other services of importance to a community controlled by Government or local authorities, and he insisted that a clause should be inserted in the bill making provision that those who came after us would have the right— a right which was not likely to be exercised by us— of acquiring the works. Of course a certain time should elapse— say, ten year Sy^bef ore such a clause could become operative,

Cr Maunder pointed out that the works were proposed to be erected for lighting different parts of the county, and not solely for any particular town.

Cr Stewart thonght it would have been better had Cr Maunder given notice of motion.

Cr McLean : There is no time now.

Cr Stewart said he thought the capitalists who were promoting the Company deserved some consideration, and the matter brought up by Cr Maunder was one which should have been considered when the Syndicate first approached the Council. It seemed to him that it was too late now.

Cr McLean said the Council had been most liberal. Everyone else got something for what they gave, but tho Council had given permission to the Syndicate to take the tunnel through the "county road without receiving anything for the concession.

Cr Marx, while appreciating the fact that there should have been some such safeguard as suggested, was of opinion that it was a bit late in the day to talk of it now.

The Chairman said he might be looking at the subject in a wrong light, but it seemed to him that, having given the Syndicate all it wanted, if the Council interfered now it would be breaking its bargain. There would be no harm in a clause as suggested if the Company was agreeable to its insertion in the bill.

Cr Maunder said it was true that it was late in the day to bring the subject forward, but that was no argument against an endeavour being made to do something now. The agreement between the Council and the Syndicate had nothing to do with the matter. The Council did not know what waß to be in tbe bill, and it might reasonably have presumed that Borne provision as suggested would have been made, according to almost universal practice. There was no desire to interfere with the Syndicate ; the only desire was to have the interests of future generations considered.

Cr Mars felt as strongly as anyone that the interests of the public should be safeguarded, but still held that it was too late for the Council to interfere. An unfortunate mistake had been made.

Cr Maunder : It is not too late to mend.

Cr Marx said the Company might, and rightly, think it had been misled by the Council if the latter body moved in the direction indicated.

Cr McLean said he had at the outset objeptqd to the Council granting the concession to the Syndicate, but having done so it would not be right now to interfere. The motion was lost on division. Ayes : Crs Boddie and Maunder. Noes : Crs McLean, Marx, Watson, Stewart, Buchanan, and the Chairman.