Cooking by Electricity.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3614, 18 November 1924, Page 5

Cooking by Electricity.

SANCTIONED BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS TO BE IMPOSED. At the adjourned meeting of the Queenstown Borough Council held on the Bth inst two ratepayers made application for permission to. install electric ovens in their premises. Both stated that they were prepared to conform to any reasonable restrictions which it might be necessary to impose in dry periods. Ci\ J, Thompson considered that the more power the Council could sell, the better for the Council—bearing in mind, of course, that light and power had first consideration. Those people were prepared to abide by the restrictions that might require to be imposed in dry periods. There was not the slightest doubt the Council did not know yet how they would stand in the dry season. They might have to store the water up in the. daytime for night consumption. Cr. Gavin said it was admitted that the available power would only stand the use of a certain number of ovens. This being so, who was to have the right to these privileges. It would be better to advertise the fact that the Council was going to grant so many rights, and the first applicants would have the privileges. There was any amount of water going through the plant at the present time. The. Mayor said the Council promised that the irrigating of gardens would! not be interfered with. It would be unfair to cut it out. The- creek nxigh < run down to three-quarters ol a head as *it did for several weeks last year. It would require all this for 4 hours a day for gardens. He agreed with Ur. Gavin that it would be unfair to grant the two applications that were before the meeting. Others should be given time and opportunity to apply, and then a ballot could be taken to decide who was to. have the privileges It should be borne in mind that there was not such a great body of water in the winter, and shortly there would be treble the lighting load there was at present; besides, there, would be heaters, motors and all sous O' household utilities installed as these conveniences came to be bettor known He thought the matter should be held in abeyance till March, when they would know better what the plant was capable of. The position now was that persons who installed ranges might have to cut them off. The public had never been given to understand that power would be let out. for ranges. Had they been he would have applied for one himself; and others would no doubt have done likewise. , . Cr. Thompson: These people go into it with their eyes open. The Council is going to require every penny of revenue. . Cr. Grant was of the opinion that a rather pessimistic view was being taken of things. The scheme surely could not be. regarded as a great success if the fears that were being expressed should materialise. The Council was going to lose a lot ol revenue if it turned down cooking. It would bei a big mistake. These applicants were quite agreeable to certain reasonable restrictions. He doubted whether there would be 18 applicants for the privilege (which number had been suggested as the capacity of the machine). If everyone applied for the right to install an oven and there was not enough power, then it was up to the Council to extend: the sysr tern. Power was found a profitable commodity of sale in every properly min system; therefore, the greater the demand for it fihe greater the jusfificoition for meeting that demand with a supply. There was any amount of water and power available at present. The Mayor: It must be remembered that each heater installed will use i of a kilowatt. Cr. Salmond thought the Council (had nothing to lose, by introducing cooking points as the load would be so spread that the. plant could stand it. This was the Engineer’s opinion. The revenue was needed, and he thought the difficulties being raised were bogus ones. The Mayor: The scheme promises to be a great suoceiss if we confine ourselves to lighting, power, and domestic utilities, but if we now grant, cookers and then find wo have to cut them out there will be a great _ cryout about the scheme being a failure. Cr. Overton was firmly of the opinion that the Council should try to load the plant up for the 24 hours. If it would only carry 15 or 20 ranges, then they should advertise and' give everyone a chance of applying for an oven. If more than the requisite number of applications were received, a ballot should be taken. This was. the fairest way of dealing with the matter; they must not have a repetition of what took place in regard to special water rights. It must also be recognised that the load was a distributed one and that the extra draw on the water which ovens might impose would only be for a short period after the first call was made. It then reduced. The subject under discussion came before the Lighting Committee and it was decided to make a recommendation to. the full Council that advice be sought on tills matter, also with regard to the scale of charges. Cr. Grant then moved that the two applications before the meeting be granted and that the Lighting Corn’mittee draft the governing conditions and invite further applications by advertisement. Seconded by Cr. Thompson. Crs. Overton and Gavin moved an amendment that the Council find out the number of ovens the plant would carry; then advertise for applications for the privileges and ballot for same if necessary. The amendment was carried, the voting being 5—2. METHOD OF METER READING. The Olerk asked for a ruling in cases where there were two meters in one building, as occurred in two instances in the town. In those he had charged as for two separate readings, commencing in each with 15 units at 6d, etc. Where there was one 3 phase meter he had read this as 45 units at (id, and so on in rej-lat-ive proportion, A good deal of discussion ensued, during which the opinion was expressed by at least two councillors tliati the Council was, not working along

on sound lines ’in so far as the sdieidtilei of charges was concerned. Ultimately it was decided that each housefholder be charged on the one basis, viz., 15 units at 6d, T5 at 3d, and Id thereafter, irrespective of the. number of meters or phases installed; refunds to. be. made in all cases where charges were otherwise made. DANGERS IN FIRE ZONE. Cr. Thompson asked that some enquiries be made as to what dangers existed in respect of live wires when a fire occurred in a house—Agreed to.