Iniquitous! Dastardly! Scandalous!

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7189, 22 June 1933, Page 7

Iniquitous! Dastardly! Scandalous!

Eating Proposals Roundly Condemned COUNTY COUNCIL SLATES POWER BOARD CONSUMERS NOT GETTING A FAIR DEAL “I feel it my duty to comment on the proposal of the ManawatnOroua Electric Power Board to strike a uniform rate of 1-lGtlxs or a penny in the £ on the unimproved value of all rateable property within its area and a separate rate of 7-20tlis of a penny in tho £ over the Palmerston North area, in order to make up a so-called deficiency of approximately £G7CO,” said Cr. L. T. McLean, chairman, at yesterday’s meeting of the Kiwitca County Council. Iniquitous! “Of this amount,’' hp continued, “£2OOO is being created by making concessions to dairy fanners in the nature of a reduction in power cnarges for milking motors and a further £IOOO for the cost of collection and allowances. In other words tho board proposes to mako concessions to certain consumers in order to increase the deficit, thus imposing an extra burden on its struggling ratepayers. This is an iniquitous proposal and every effort should bo made to defeat it, more especially at a time when practically every local body in the Dominion is striving to keep rates down to a minimum.

4 4 ln my opinion tho board slioma not bo allowed to strike a rate over its area when it is already holding the sum of £5050 in abeyance pencting a decision regarding reductions to be applied to interest paid in New South Wales. The actual deficit is not overburdening • and the board should be prepared to carry it until the test case has been disposed of. “As far as this county is concerned tho amount to be raised by the uniform rate will fall considerably short of the board’s estimate of £505. The new valuations for the county came into force. on March 31 last and all rates for the current year must bo struck on tho revised'figures. The collection of the rato by the local bodies concerned is not going to be an easy matter on account of the concession of 75 per cent, to ratepayers, whoso properties arc ( iiot within 10 chains of t.o board’s power line. The Act provides that no reduction of the rate on .the ground that electricity is not available to the ratepayer will be allowed unless written application for such reduction is made by tho ratepayer within 90 days, after receipt of the rate demand. A certain number of ratepayers arc bound to miss the concession.

“11l conclusion, I would like to add that it appears to me that; the sole object of some members of the board is to penalise those ratepayers living in the Palmerston North area. Apparently they are leaving no stone unturned in order to obtain their objective no matter what the ultimate result might ho to others.” Cr. W. P. Bhaw asked whether the proposal was to strike a rate over the whole area and a separate rate over Palmerston North. The chairman answered in the affirmative. Dastardly! “I think it is a dastardly thing to put on in these times,” remarked Cr. W. llair. “Our one concern is to get our rates down,” he continued, “and immediately we get them down the Power Board comes along with a new rate.” Cr. Hair censured the board for its want of,, consideration for the ratepayers’ interests and proceeded to state that the board was not giving the service it had promised. He knew of consumers who giving up their hot water services because tno water was nc--cr hot. He did not think consumers were getting a lair run. The speaker mentioned Feilding’s trouble over community lighting, saying that the town could not get the light on at 5 o’clock. Cr. T. D. Mood remarked that Pending's difficulty was not experienced by Rangiwahia where for one period oi three weeks the street lights burned continually night and day. He had drawn attention to this without result. Cr. W. P. Shaw did not think the board’s proposal a fair thing and Cr. Hair said the idea was to endeavour to force Palmerston North into the scheme. Cr. Wood: “They are going the wrong way about it.” The discussion turned on the point as to why the dairy farmers should be favoured. Why not extend tho concession to shearing machines'? Cr. Shaw could not see consumers being rated to help shccpfarmers pay for their shearing. Cr. J. A. Williamson thought the board was probably right m guarding tho sum it had set aside to meet tho Sydney interest charge. He felt that tho board’s proposal was aimed at getting Palmerston North in, but why not rale Palmerston North only and leave the rest of the area alone. Tho chairman said that the board was obliged to first rate tho whole area before it could impose a special rate on auy part of the board’s district. Cr. F. E. Tapp in considered the rato proposal a scandalous idea. After further discussion the follow-

ing resolution, moved by Or. F. 0. Stack and seconded by Cr. W. P. Shaw, was carried unanimously:— “That this council enter a strong protest against the proposal of th 3 Manawatu-Oroua Power Board to strike a rate in order to make up a deficiency which to a largo extent is to he created by the hoard in the nature of concessions to certain consumers, ana further, that this council is of the opinion that the financial position of the hoard does not warrant tho imposition of such a burden on its already struggling ratepayers; that a copy of this resolution he forwarded to tho Hon. Minister of Public Works.”