CLOSING OF GASWORKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 5 October 1936, Page 11

CLOSING OF GASWORKS

FOXTON COUNCIL'S DECISION NO LEGAL AUTHORITY Some time ago the Foxton Borough Council decided that unless the consumers of gas within the borough could guarantee the council a 25 per cent increase in revenue by September 30, 1956, the municipal gasworks would he closed down ou March 31, 1937. September 20 arrived without any guarantee by the consumers, but it brought a letter lo a resident from the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W, E. Parry, which reads as follows: "I find that, the law relating to the supply of gas. by municipal authorities is contained in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1933, which Act provides that a council may establish gasworks and do all things necessary for a supply of gas to the inhabitants of the borough. Power is contained for a borough council to acquire gasworks from a privato company, but I am unaware of any authority whereby gasworks' owned by a council could bo sold to any private company or individual. Further, there appears to be no authority for a council to close down a gasworks or to discontinue the supply of gas to the consumers."