The Manawatu Daily Times What Can Be Gained ?

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 133, 8 June 1935, Page 4

The Manawatu Daily Times What Can Be Gained ?

The conference between the delegates of the l’almtrston North City Council and those of the iVlanawatu-Oroua Power Coard failed to achieve a settlement or even to open up prospects of one. Both parties iiave issued a statement upon the conference. The city's spokesman states that the Cower Board made a new offer, but omy slightly better than the previous one and still, from the city's viewpoint, a long way off anything that might be considered reasonable. 'The Cower Board’s chairman states that the board offered to contract at rates below those of the Napier supply. On examination we consider the Cower Board’s offer a reasonable one.

It is perfectly evident that the city delegates had no intention of negotiating with the board. As matters now stand, the Power Board is exonerated from continuing the dispute. The City Council is engaged in a dispute with the State electrical service. That is quite clear. The city has been offered its electricity supply at standard rates, with certain additions and set-offs. The net effect of these is to increase the power cost by £383 over standard rates and so the city is being asked to nay 21 per cent, above those rates.

The council lias determined to light for something better. We wish to ask the question: What can be gained? Furthermore, we would like to ask it the possibility ol a gain is sufficient to 'justify the risking of £30,000 of the ratepayers’ money.

No one takes seriously the council’s suggestion of running the Diesel generating plant and supplying the city therefrom. It is recognised as being a bargaining weapon. Katepayors are wondering what is the bargain the council hopes to make.

The council has implied that certain other towns in New Zealand have been getting power from the State at lower rates than those now offered to Palmerston North —put in another way, that some other centres have been purchasing electricity at below standard rates. This appears to be the council’s prime grievance. A second grievance, we gather, is that the State is not agreeable to the city generating power to cut the peak load. We have previously pointed out liow utterly impossible it would be for the State to allow the city to carry on with this practice.

Concerning the prime grievance of the council, we can sympathise with its sentiments about the matter. However, it should be pointed out that the State, in developing the hydroelectric schemes for the Dominion, has had many and varied problems to meet. Firstly, there were problems of engineering construction. Then came problems of load building, negotiations with several score local authorities relative to disposing of the power produced.

The State has had a vastly complicated business to handle, and the local authorities have had a comparatively simple task, especially in urban areas. No doubt the State may have, through force of circumstances, made some contracts at below standard rates with certain authorities. Surely, however, that is no reason why all other authorities should endeavour to force the State into giving them similar contracts.

The city has been offered electricity at a reasonable price, a Certainly it is to cost a little more than we have been paying. But we must also remember that the city deprived the State of thousands of pounds of revenue over the past few years by running its plant and cutting the peak load, thus gaining an advantage in a manner followed by no other town in the Dominion. That is no doubt a source of grievance to the State.

Nursing past grievances is a sorry and unprofitable business. Let both parties forget them. We have faith in our Mayor and council to believe that they are big enough to take the broad view and to make a fair deal —to consider not merely the plot of ground between Hokowhitu and Boundary road called Palmerston North, but to realise that it is part of the district of Manawatu and beyond that again, a part of the Uoujifliftu of New. Zealand.