THE PROVINCIAL POWER BOARD PROJECT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18861, 14 May 1923, Page 5

THE PROVINCIAL POWER BOARD PROJECT

TO THE EDITOB.

Sib, — I notice in to-day’s issue of the Daily limbs that Mr W. Blackio takes me to task for what I said at the meeting of the Provisional Electric Power Committee on May 8. He suggests that I ought to be ashamed to • impute motives to Mr Henderson, the Dunedin Councd's electrical engineer. May I say it is not 1 that should be ashamed but Mr W. Blackie, for ho it is that openly makes the boast that Mr Henderson is working with ■ him to retain the Taieri within the Dunedin Citv Council’s area. It was because of his boast I made the remarks complained of by him. May I ask Mr Blackie whether it is not a fact that he received a plan of the Taieri setting out the people that would receive light and power, and whether he did not receive, circulars for the people to sign?. Now, Sir, this is not, as I conceive, fair play, after the chairman of- the Electric Power Committee of Dunedin gave a full verbal assurance to a deputation from the Power Board Committee that the Citv Council would hand over at valuation ail its plant south of the Chain Hills. On that assurance the committee got to work, and the people of South Taicn subscribed their money freely towards their share of the expenses; and just when they have completed their arrangements to put. before the people for them to say whether they will have a Power Board or not, Mr Blackio comes forward (after being asleep for the last 15 years) and is at last awake to the fact that light and power have been passing the people’s doors all that time and that ho did nothing to bring it within the reach of their means. But now that they are moving for themselves he and others of like narrow views desire to counter them. As regards my not being a ratepayer, may I assure Mr Blackio that I am a British subject, a New Zealand citizen, a member of the Otago Expansion League, and a delegate appointed by a large number of the South Taieri ratepayers to represent them in this matter, and ns long as I have the honour to do so they will find me faithful to their trust. Further, I have been the best part of 30 years in Otago, and I have never been guilty of any act I need to be ashamed of.—l am, etc., Otolda, May 11. J. Stkaok.