POWER CHARGES

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 6

POWER CHARGES

PROPOSED DOMINION BASIS. EFFECT IN CHRISTCHURCH. That Christchurch users of electric current were likely to suffer if the cost of power stations were placed on a Dominion basis and a uniform rate for supply charged all over the country was emphasized by Mr A. F. Wright at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce on Thursday evening. The spreading of the cost —placing inefficient stations together with efficient ones like Coleridge—he maintained, was likely to mean an increase in charges for supply to Christchurch. The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce wrote: “The method adopted by the Government regarding the supply of electric current from the main distributing centres to the respective power boards, at varying rates, was severely criticized at a meeting of this chamber, on March 13, and it was felt that the time had now arrived when the whole of the power stations and their cost should be treated on a Dominion basis, and that power boards and supply authorities should be charged for bulk supply at a uniform rate.” The Canterbury chamber was asked for its support.

Mi- Wright said that this raised an important problem which was particularly relevant to Christchurch, where electric power was largely used by manufacturing concerns. Christchurch had a cheap and efficient source of supply at Lake Coleridge, and if the cost of the other and less efficient power schemes were to be added and a universal rate arrived at, it might press heavily on manufacturers in Christchurch.

Messrs W. S. Newburgh, R. H. Webb, S. G. Holland, J. W. Graham, and W. R. Carey were appointed a committee to investigate the proposal, and to report to the next meeting of the chamber.