A WANGANUI SENSATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18310, 29 July 1921, Page 7

A WANGANUI SENSATION

FIVE BOROUGH COUNCILLORS RESIGN. (Fbom Odx Own Correspondent.)

WANGANUI, July 28.

Wanganui is undergoing municipal convulsions, and a big sensation was created last night by five Borough councillors resigning their position because they wore defeated by a majority of the council. This has been the absorbing topic of the community to-day. The position in a nutshell is that a steam plant was purchased some time ago to provide electric light and power, but its erection was delayed owing to developments of the hydro'-elecbric and other causes. The huge demand for light and power created by a steadily-increasing population, coupled with the fact that the tramway plant is overburdened, and is verging on a breakdown, has forced the position, as there is no possible chance of hydroelectric being available fqr two or three years. Advocates of the steam plant, after receiving expert advice, decided in the interests of the community to proceed with erection of a plant, the interest on which is costing the borough the huge sum of £3O a day. The defeated five claim that a citizens’ ticket, of which they formed _a part, impliedly pledged *to prevent the installation of the steam plant as a stand-by at the power-house, was elected, and that certain other members on that ticket have since voted :n opposition to their election pledges. On the other hand, the particular plank in the platform is claimed by the secessionists to have given no such mandate whatever, the clause in question being worded in such a way as to suggest the erection of a portion of the plant as a.certainty. and the whole of the plant as a Dofisiollitv. The discussion over the problem lasted two nights, and a good deal -of feeling was shown. It is now hoped that the erection of the plant will be proceeded with as soon ns possible to provide Wanganui with electric reticulation, the plant to bo subsequently used as a stand-by vrhen the hydro-electric becomes an accomplished fact. The rosignees include Mr Sigley, deputyMayor.