ELECTRIC POWER CHARGES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 77

ELECTRIC POWER CHARGES.

DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER. WELLINGTON, July 13. An important point was raised at a deputation to the Prime Minister on behalf of the Banks Peninsula settlers this mornin" —namely whether the settlers in broken country, where reticulation is difficult, should get more favourable terms for electric power supplied by the Government than others, such as those in the cities who are more favourably situated The deputation consisted of Mr J. R. Thacker, a settler on the Peninsula, and Mr F. A. Leathwaite, the Power Board’s engineer. . . Mr Thacker explained the position. The reticulation, he said, was in difficult country, but they had accomplished what they had set out to do with loans of £IOO,OOO, cash contributions, the supply of a large numzer of r»oles, and voluntary labour. They were only a small community, and they did not take much electricity, the payment being £lO per kw. up to 200 kwts., and the balance at £8 per kw., whereas paid £6 2s per kw. only, as against their £lO. He asked *that they should be put on a similar basis to the Christchurch people. He also suggested that, in view of further reticulation, they should get a subsidy equivalent to what their people had already done for nothing in the way of the supply of poles, labour* etc. Their, cqntract with the department stipulated £6 per kw. for the quantity beyond 200 kwts., but they knew the £6 was a clerical error, and that the price should have been £B. Mr Leathwaite said the contributions had amounted to £3723 in cash, £2200 in material—poles, etc.—and £SO in labour, a total of £6973. That, he added, was a conservative estimate.'

In answer to a question by Mr Coates as to what their balance sheet was like, he said the loss on sales was £4700 last year, and during the present year it would be £4482. Mr Coates said all these things were pointed out at the time the scheme was undertaken, and be had told them he thought they were the pluckiest people in the world in going in for such an undertaking for, if Banks Peninsula could be successfully reticulated, then they could reticulate almost any part of New Zealand. There was no doubt that great team work had been shown in connection with the fruition of this scheme. The deputation, however, had. now raised a very, difficult point: the question whether the cities should get power at a lower rate than the country districts. That brought them back to the basis on which they had estimated the matter of hydro-electrical development in New Zealand whether it were to be developed commercially in all the aspects of a huge undertaking involving an expendi ture of £1.000,000 a year. If they were to go on those lines they must necessarily look to the big cities first, and subsequently reticulate into the more sparsely settled districts. The other point of view was whether it would have been better to have linked the cities and the country together. .Christchurch, however already nad got its licence and certajn contracts had been made. At that time the country people were likely to think that it would be only a further expense for them, and so wouid not tackle it. Meantime the Government could not wait. Thus they now found themselves in the position that a few sparsely populated districts were paying more than they thought they should pay. He did not know wnat the Government could do. If in one case they agreed to reduce the charges, then they would have others on top of them with a similar request