Back Country Power

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 291, 9 December 1936, Page 2

Back Country Power

ASSISTANCE FROM GOVERNMENT.

Of late there has been much talk of the Government taking control of the Dominion's electricity services, at present being run by the various power boards, and a hint of what is in store in this respect was thrown by Mr. J. Robertson, M.P., when addressing a meeting of Pongaroa farmers in Pongaroa last week.

Regarding the supply of hydro-elec-tricity to farmers, he said he believed that the Government should and would give every possible assistance by way of subsidy to outlying districts. The supply was remarkably cheap in the main centres and he instanced that in his homo in Wellington, which was well electrified by every possible "gadget'’ being made use of, it cost but 15s per month. Any slight increase in the cost would not be felt by the city dweller and it would make a very large sum available for the backblock districts. The speaker said he would like to see these guarantees done away with and the whole business run on the same lines as the Post and Telegraph Department where the profits received from the service in the largo centres were used to assist the more sparselysettled districts.