POWER BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 83, 9 March 1925, Page 6

POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the ManawatuOroua JPower Board was held this afternoon, thero being present: Messrs J. A. Nash, M.P. (chairman), Morrison, McLean, Small, Tingoy, Vincent, Hunt, Eliott and Arbon. Tho statement of accounts was as follows: —Balances: Loan account, £1589 14s lid, power fund account £6654 3s lOd, Public Trustee £31,846 11s 7d; total £40,090 10s 4d. Amount of loan raised £400,000, amount of loan received £270,000 cr. balance £130,000. Collections for February, 1925, current £l6lO ltte lid, installations £1596 2s 2d, sundries £l4 8s 9d; total £3221 Is lOd. Amount of advances, etc., £23,527 10s Id, refunds to dute £16,808 17s Id; balanco £6518 13s. Accounts for payment, £8749 11s Id. SOLDIER SETTLER’S REQUEST. Mr Morgan, a returned soldier settler on the Kopano settlement, waited on the board with reference to the supply to him of electric light and power. He stated that his house was 15 chains from the lino and his milking shed 21 chains distant. He wanted to be supplied with light and power but could not afford to pay for it on the basis of the present charges for the distance of line which would bo required. Four immediate neighbours had, he said, been met by the action of the board in erecting a transmission line to them at a small cost. Mr Nash said that in that case the erection of the line had been a benefit to the board in reticulating tho four farms. Mr Morgan asked for a special concession so that he could bo put in much the same position as his neighbours. Mr Nash explained that, in the case of settlers other than soldier settlers, the cost of erecting a line was made a first churge on the land. Despite frequent representations to the Government tho position still remained the same and the board could not get security in the case of soldier settlers. If this application were granted it would create a precedent and settlers in the Cloverlea and Mackenzie settlements would make like applications. That was the board’s position. He deeply sympathised, however, with the soldier settlers. Mr Morgan: Yes, but my position is bad, too. Ho added that the cost of the proposed work would be about £7O which meant putting £2 an acre on to the cost of Iris holding, which was already overloaded. Mr Nash: ‘You don’t suggest that your land was too doar ? Mr Morgan: Mr McLean should know about that. (Laughter). Mr Nash askea the settler whether ho did not think that ho could get his money back if he sold his farm to-day, whereupon Mr Morgan replied that, if anyone wanted to pay £IOO per acre for his holding, to cover the cost of his improvements, . tney could have it. Mr McLean: You have a good section. In reply to Mr Eliott tho soldier settler said that he was prepared to pay for his own installation if tho board would meet him in the matter of the line extension to his property and which would cost some £3O alone. Alternatively, ho would erect tho poles himself, or pay somothing towards the cost of the line. Ho would not lay out £7O at present, However, and in any case was reluctant to add £2 per acre to the cost of his holding. After further discussion it was decided to accept £ls down, the balance to bo spread over a period of two years, tho settler to erect his own-poles. The tot-: charge by the board to take cur-ent to the settlers’ farm, it was pointed out, would be £3O. Tho saving effected by tho farmer erecting his own poles would lie £5 and this, with the £ls paid down would leave a balance of £lO to be paid.