ELECTRIC POWER FOR OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 8

ELECTRIC POWER FOR OTAGO.

MEETING AT MILTON. A meeting of ratepayers was held at Milton on the 13th inst. to consider the advisability of the district joining in witli the neighbouring districts in the formation of an electric power board for Otago. The Mayor (Mr A. Bennie) presided, the meeting being convened by the borough council. Mr W. B. Steel, secretary of the Expansion League, was the first speaker. He gave a brief resume of the league’s action. Mr Steel then dealt with a number of the ojections and opposing arguments, pointing out the fallacies and misconceptions which were prvealent, and concluded with a strongly-worded appeal to their local patriotism and commercial- interest. Mr S. B: Macdonald, vice-president of the league, briefly stressed the point that the power board could secure power at practically the same cost as the city, and showed by a series of figures that t-lie retail selling price of power and light in Dunedin was £ll per h.p., which would cost the board only £6 at Waipori, so that there was sufficient mar gin for the payment of reticulation and administration costs, and that a sane and level-headed board oould gradually reticulate the wohle area without the necessity of striking a rate or at lea-st of collecting it. A rate, of course, must be struck for the security of the loan. Mr jasper Clark announced that the support accorded to the petition was most encouraging. Besides the places already noted he was happy to state that they had received word from Palmerston and Kaitangata that both boroughs’ petitions had been signed by twice the number of ratepayers required. So the board was practically secure, and he hoped that, the borough of Milton, which already enjoyed the privileges of electricity, would go hand in hand with ihe others and give the outlying districts their opportunity of sharing the same blessing. Several questions were asked by members of the audience and were satisfactorily answered. Cr Henderson moved a hearty vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had come so far to enlighten them and assured them of the appreciation 6f the residents for their courtesy. THE TAIERI COUNTY. In connection with the formation of an Electric Power Board for South Oiasro, a meeting is to bo held in Mosgiel on July 25 of Taieri County and Mosgicd Borough ratepayers. The Taieri County Council chairman (Mr Walter Blackie) has issued the following circular to ratepayers of the North Taieri, East Taieri, Outram, Maungetua. and portion of the Otokia Ridings, Tn which he advises ratepayers to consider well the position before attaching their signatures to the petition, - now in circulation, for the constitution of an Electric Power District, and also a further petition that the ridings above-named be included in the inner area (the rating area) of such district, on the following grounds: 1. Ratepayers in Taieri County can have power and light supplied to them, under the “Waipori agreement” with the Dunedin City Corporation, cheaper than through a power board. 2. The actual cost of this supply and reticulation can be exactly computed, and the consumer knows definitely what his liability is before he agrees to have the installation made. ' 3. The creation of a Power Board means another authority with power to rate on the Taieri. Seldom does any authority with such power fail to exercise it. The rate would be a uniform rate, on the capital or unimproved value, over all the district of the inner area, from Waihemo County in the northern end to Clutha County * in the southern end. The statement made by the promoters of this proposal for a Power Board that the possibility of having to levy a rate is very remote, convey 3 an optimism that, in my mind, does not evidence a full realisation of the cost of the work to be undertaken. 4. Can ratepayers on the Taieri Plain, witli its heavy Hospital rate, further rating to reinstate present damage and cope with flood prevention works now proposed, a rate to meet tho calls imposed on the county by the coming into operation of the Main Highways Act. look with complacence on a proposal which will load them with a still further rate? The Mosgiel Borough Council has issued a circular urging all ratepayers to be present at the meeting and hear the arguments both for and against the proposal.