CHARGES FOR ELECTRICITY

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 5

CHARGES FOR ELECTRICITY

ADDITIONAL PENNY DISCOUNT. DISCUSSION AT STRATFORD. When a clause that no reduction be made in the charges for electric current was added to the electricity committee’s report to the Stratford Borough Council last night Cr. W. P. P. Gordon moved an amendment that the clause be deleted and that a further discount of a penny a unit be allowed on the high-rate units. The amendment was carried by 5 votes to 4 after a somewhat heated exchange between the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan) and Cr. Gordon. The argument developed when Cr. Gordon began to refer to statements made by the Mayor during a meeting of the council committee and during the mayoral election. Councillor Gordon said he hoped the matter was not a foregone conclusion. There had been no general discussion by the council on the question and he had certain facts to put before the council that had not'been put before the electricity committee. ; Councillor Gordon began to quote the Mayor’s views of > the question as given in the committee meeting. The Mayor; Don’t you attack me. Councillor Gordon: I’m not going to .. attack you but I want to quote your • views before I put my case. Ho went on to read a statement made by the Mayor during the election. The Mayor: You cannot attack me, on what I said during the election. 1 Councillor Gordon: Are you ruling me out of order. The Mayor: No, but I object. Councillor Gordon: I’m going ahead then. You claimed during the election that you' were going to try to reduce lighting charges. It was estimated that the electricity department would show a profit of £2500 in the year, Cr. Gordon said, and Id reduction a unit on the high rate would mean a saving of £6OO to consumers. It was said that to reduce the charge was simply taking it out of one pocket to put it in another, but that was not so. The present recommendation would mean that the big Broadway owner j. would be aided at the exxpense of the average resident. There were 54 owners in Broadway who received a reduction in rates of £2141. At the same time the Broadway owners had paid two-fifths of the rates. However, 54 people received £2OOO and. 950 people £3OOO. The Mayor: You should have brought all this up at the committee meeting. Councillor Gordon: The committee has no deliberative power. The council I» the place to discuss this. To use the £6OO to reduce rates rather than lighting charges, he continued, would give only half the value of the saving to the average householder. The Broadway owner would get the greater , benefit if the same were applied to rate reduction. “We are asking for £6OO of relief for the average householder when in the same year we are handing over £2OOO for general purposes, and we are not ; • asking for £6OO really as part of the year is gone and the cost will be only £4OO. Is that unreasonable?” he asked. “I am simply asking that in the last eight months of the year the average wage earners be given £4OO. Cannot the Broadway owner afford that when he will get the benefit of the ■balance?” Cr. R. F. Harkness seconded t-ie amendment The Mayor said he was satisfied it was better to give the reduction on rates than on lighting, and he would be prepared to call a public meeting and put the option to the citizens if necessary. It had been stated that he preferred to do council business in committee, but that was not so. Though he had said he would recommend the reduction in lighting charges he had since changed his mind and was prepared to face the ratepayers on the question. The council would be wrong in reducing the cost of electric light at the present time. It was preferable to reduce the rates. 1 e electric department was capitalised to toe extent of £50,500, and he thought if the electric profit was not devoted to reducing rates it should be used to reduce the capital accoimt, Cr. Gordon: You might have given the council some reason why you altered your mind in a few weeks. I thought you were going to get away with it with the minimum charge. The Mayor: Don’t you say that I want to get away with anything. Councillor Gordon: If meat against my amendment is that.more money should be used to reduce the cap S charges you would not toe of the £2600 for reducing rates but would transfer it to the capital The Mayor: I doubt if there is a p in the electric department. Councillor Gordon: If toe profit is fictitious how can you reduce rata wth ;+? You are not consistent. iou y t moneyshould be given to the cap.tai account and then you say tUt the money is a fictitious amount. The amendment was carried.