ELECTRICITY CHARGES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 250, 19 September 1933, Page 2

ELECTRICITY CHARGES.

(To the Editor). Sir, —I have noticed ,in your journal several letters concerning the Mana-watu-Oroua Power Board and electricity. It appears to me that the following is the position: Some years ago the Government decided to develop electricity. They got their engineers to give an estimate of the cost to complete the Mangahao power plant: the estimate given was under £500,000. The actual cost, I am told, was nearly £2,000,000 over that amount, and the Government is making a charge sufficiently high to pay interest and sinking fund on the full amount. The Palmerston North City Council had been previously developing electricity with an ordinary plant driven by an engine which would be much cheaper to run. For instance, in Denmark they buy their coal from England and use ordinary steam engines to develop electricity and the price charged to the consumer is id per unit for power and for lighting. This is the highest price paid. Where they use the petrol engine the cost to the consumer is Id per unit for power and id for lighting. Now, sir,- is it right that the consume# should pay for the work of the Government’s very high officials? Would it not be fairer to write off the excessive cost of the Public Works blunders and charge a fair market value for the electricity. Before the time of electricity I was using a 4 h.p. engine which used to cost me £l2 10s per year to run. Now with the advent of hydro-electricity for the same work it- costs me over £2O. Is it fair and reasonable to ask the public to pay a price which has got to be protected by legislation because it cannot possibly compete in the open market ? The price charged the dairy farmer is certainly too high by half, and if the Power Board can reduce it they are doing the right thing. But why not compile the actual facts and petition Parliament for a general reduction in the charge made by the Government?—Yours, eU " H. SCHREIBER. Rongotea.