“FEILDING LOSES SIGHT OF FACTS"

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6915, 22 May 1929, Page 3

“FEILDING LOSES SIGHT OF FACTS"

More About Power

PALMERSTON NORTH’S REPRESENTATION

A little more was heard at yesterday's meeting of the Palmerston -North Chamber of Commerce, of Folding's attitude towards the representation giecu tile Palmerston North borough on the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board, dir. M. A. Eliott spoke in defence. “When raising the question of Pending being placed at 'u disadvantage as compared with Palmerston North owing to the latter still retaining control of its own reticulation of electrical power and light,’'’ lie said, “the Peilding Chamber of Commerce apparently loses sight of tlie fact that the Power Board took over Peilding \s obsolete scheme, consisting of a generating plant,

storage batteries and reticulation for the sum of £11,700. Practically the whole of this generating plant had to oo scrapped. Jn addition ro tUm, Power Board has had to spend £10,300 to replace the Peilding reticulation, making £52,000 paid by the board. •If Peilding had retained its own scheme and bought its supply of power in bulk at standard rates in the same way as Palmerston North is doing, It would have been faced with having to scrap its old obsolete i lant, though still paying interest on tiio loan indebtedness, and in additiiou, would have had to borrow another £IO,OOO to bring its system of reticulation to the required standard. “Palmerston North, with its new and up-to-date plant and system of reticulation costing £175,000 was, and still is, in quite a different position and is to a large extent independent of the Power Board. Mr. Tingey, who was Mayor of Peilding when the Power Board dealt with the Peilding Borough Council, war-far-sighted enough to see the benefits that Peilding would receive, and although lie has been criticised in some quarters in Peilding, 1 consider that he acted wisely and in the best interests of Peilding in negotiating the sale to the Power Board."

Mr. A. P. Stuart: They got a terribly good deal, I think, Mr. Eliott: “There is another aspect of which the Peilding Chamber of Commerce apparently is not aware; i.e., tho relative positions of Palmerston North and the Power Board arc by no means singular. The following cities and towns occupy just the same positions as regards the power boards in their surrounding districts as Palmerston North does to the Manawatu Board—Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Hastings, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin and Invurcpjgill. In all these cases, the towns buy power in bulk at standard rates from the nearest power board or direct from the Public Works Department and retain the profit arising' from the reticulation within their own boundaries. Why then is Palmerston North singled out for censure because it refuses to part with its admittedly profitable retail reticulation, for tho benefit of Peilidng and. surrounding districts ? Would they do otherwise if tlie boot were on the other foot ? Assuredly not. No one dreams of asking Wellington to sell out to the Hutt Valley Power Board or Napier, to the Hawke's Bay Board. Why then all this talk and expression of hostility towards Palmerston North from Peilding and country representatives o;i the Power Board ? In the event of the Power Board striking a rate, Palmerston would be included in the rateable area and for this reason alone, is entitled to full representation cm tho Power Board." Mr. Oram: It should not be forgotten ; that that Palmerston North is liable for ; a rate, although receiving no bcneJit ' from the Power Board scheme. < The council appointed the chairman (Mr. Oram) and Mr. Eliott to draft a letter to the Minister, pointing out , the facts mentioned by the latter, as an answer to the protest against Palm- t erst oil North's representation tiiat the ( Peilding ChambeV of Commerce has sent L