ELECTRICAL SCHEME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1705, 20 December 1919, Page 7

ELECTRICAL SCHEME.

REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE

ADVICE FROM CHRISTCHURCH

ENGINEER.

The electrical scheme proposed for the i Palmerston North borough and the Kaij ranga county jointly was reported upon i by Cr. Crabb, as chairman of the Electri- • cal Committee, at a meeting of the Bor- j ough Council last night. The Mayor ; (Mr J. A. Nash, M.P.) presided, and there i were also present: Crs. C. F. Spooner, > M. A. Eliott, S. R. Lancaster and Mr J. R. Hughes (borough engineer), as well as Mr A. 11. M. Wright (countv origin- 1 eor). Cr. Lancaster was the only representative of the Kairunga County Council present. • , , i Mr E. E. Stark, electrical engineer to the Christchurch City Council, who lias I been in Palmerston North in an advisory : capacity, was present, and was welcomed by the Mayor. I j ‘ COMMITTEE’S REPORT. j ( The report of the Electrical .Committee • was submitted by the chairman (Cr. E. H. Crabb), the report dealing with tho desirability of the borough combining with other local bodies for the purpose of a | joint supply of electricity for the districts. 1 The report continued : —lt will be cheaper 1 and more convenient to reticulate tho borough and *the country surrounding as a 1 unit, and when in time to come the borough has a largo suburban population just outside its boundaries, it will tend to less friction and overlapping; further, tho district can ho planned as a whole and the service lines reticulated accordingly. ' , This should also suit the Electrical Do- ! partment, ns they will thereby bo reloaded from tho worry of local reticulation. Cheapness of working: To enlarge the unit | ' of working reduces the ratio of the various overhead charges; only one office will be needed, one show room and warehouse, one stall. It will also be possible to keep a more efficient technical staff, and in other ways the working of the one largo district should he more efficient and economical. Ratos : By working on. economical linos, as suggested above, and subject to a guaranteed revenue, where cost of service line is high compared with number of supplies on the line, there is good reason for the belief that one flat rate of payment can ho established in borough and county. We are speaking here on the authority of technical experts, and this may bo modified in practice to some degree; but it is certain that, for reasons stated above, the cost to the whole district will bo lessoned. This agreement with regard to rate will tend to ob\ late friction and towards a smoother working in reticulation and distribution. The above arc tho .principal reasons that weigh with your committee in recommending the Council to approach tho Kairanga County Council, as already stated in our former report. In looking into the Dialiter however, we find that tho powers ) I given to local bodies by tho. Municipal I Corporations Act and the Counties Act ar not wido enough to cnoblo any such agioo- ' ment to ho entered into. The borough solicitor, on being consulted, has stated that while under clause 277 of the Municipal Corporations Act a borough council can contract for a supply of electricity, and under clause 269 it can supply electricity to residents outside the borough, it has no powers to enter into an agreement with another local body for a joint supply and distribution. Jle further states that ho is not aware of any powers to enable a county council to enter into any such ■ scheme. It may he argued that tho Electric" Boards Act provides such powers, and this is technically correct, but tho . disadvantages of this Act arc so patent 'that we do not think any local-body will j adopt this method, except as a last resource. Boards set up under this Act I are separate bodies, with independent iat- , ing powers, .and extremely wide control of I roads, streets, etc. To adopt it would ’ cause continuous friction, and no borough ] council would consent to the control of its electric lighting and power, entailing the control of electric traction, being in any other hands than the municipality. Tho Act was drafted to enable large .schemes of supply of hydro-electric power to ho carried out. by combination amongst local bodies, and does not seem suited to combined action for distribution such as is suggested by us. We will not, therefore, further consider this course. It will, therefore, he necessary to approach the Government, and ascertain from them who- i ther they will undertake amending logisla- j rion giving local bodies the powers sought, i This should not prove a difficult matter, i and your committee consider it should lie taken in hand without delay. As the matter is one affecting all local bodies, it might he deemed advisable, in the Council’s opinion, to seek their co-operation. Powers are needed, inter alia: (a) For ’ entering into an agreement for combined supply, extending over an extensive period of time; (b) to provide such free access to roads and streets as shall be necessary to carry out the work of a combined sup- I ply; (c) to provide, if necessary, wider powers for raising and expending moneys, for the purpose of establisliiag and financing a joint supply; (d) to provide power'to set up a joint committee of control, on such terms as shall be mutually agreed j upon. Subject to such powers as above being obtained, wo suggest the following as a basis of agreement That the joint control be vested in a committee of the two councils, consisting of three members of the Borough Council and two members of tho County Council. That such committee be charged with the oversight of tho whole electrical distribution within tho combined districts, with power to act in matters of detail, subject to the confirmation of the councils in matters of policy; members of such committees to be appointed at tho first meeting of their respective councils subsequent to the biennial election of councillors. hinanco; That each district provide the funds for reticulation works, etc., necessary for tho distribution within its own borders; that all expenditure for wages and material, salaries, repairs, etc., including a sufficient depreciation, also interest and sinking fund on all loans, be a first charge on all revenue, tho surplus, if any, to bo used, if in the opinion of the committee tho same bo necessary, in extensions of the plant, or returned to the various councils pro rata, according to the not earnings derived from tho two districts; that the agreement be for a sufficient period to cover loans raised under the scheme, and subject to a power of renewal at the end of such period; there arc, of course, many other matters which would have to bo embodied in such an agreement as is proposed, and tho terms would have to be carefully scrutinised to ensure equitable and smooth working, but the above is suggested as tho main lines of such an agreement. > , , , Mr Stark was applauded when he rose to speak. Ho thanked the councillors assembled lor their kindly reception and expressed his, pleasure at being able to give any assistance to the Palmerston North Borough Council and Kairanga County Council in their proposed scheme. Hunug the duv ho said, he had traversed 40 or 50 miles of tho country, representing about a quarter of the proposed area, to be served. On general a.s well as technical grounds ho strongly advocated a system of one contiol and instanced eases in point. In serving a rural and an urban district from the olio souice there were numerous ways.and means of economising. Vie emphasised the necessity for going on with the work immediately if everything was to ho ready to receive the current from Mangahuo when it was due to arrive in three years’ time. Questions were then asked of .Mr Stars, gnd on the motion of Or. Crabb it was then unanimously decided: “'lbat the joint meeting of the Palmerston North i/orougb Council and the Kairanga County Conned ( approve of tho proposal for omv combined scheme for distribution of electrical energy within the joint area of the Borough of Palmerston North and the County of Kairanga, and that the Kairanga County Council be notified and their decision asked for as earlv a.s possible." _ The thanks of the Council were then extended to Mr Stark by the Mayor and the action of the Christchurch City Council in granting permission for his visit eulogised.