ILLEGAL GRANT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17346, 29 September 1924, Page 8

ILLEGAL GRANT.

POWER BOARD’S DILEMMA. MEMBERS LIABLE BY GIFT TO CHAIRMAN. (Special to the “ Star.”) ASHBURTON, September 29. On the requisition of the members, excluding the chairman, the Ashburton .Electric -Power .Board held a special meeting with the object of vindicating the position of the chairman (Mr F. W. Watt) in view of the July decision of the Board to grant him fiee power. This decision has been pointed out by the Under-Secretary for Public Works (Mr F. W. Furkett) to be illegal, and if given effect to would render the chairman’s office vacant for a period of three years, and make members generally liable to a fine of £SO each, and cause them to lose their seats, though they would be eligible for re-election again immediately. In July the members of the Board brought forward the matter of the chairman’s honorarium, it being considered by them that £2OO was insufficient in view of the great amount of time Mr AN att devoted to the work. Il was pointed out, however, that the .Minister of Public Works had ruled that the honorarium must lie limited to £2OO. and. contrary to the wishes of tlie chairman, members carried on lied granting Mr Watt free current for liis household purposes. It was not until the Under-Secretary drew attention to the matter that the members became aware of the true position. On receipt of the Under-Secre-tary’s letter, Mr Watt took legal advice and received confirmation of the fact that the decision of the board was illegal. This caused Mr Watt to pay into the board’s office the amount involved, a sum of slightly over £2, and hq also paid a penalty payment for having failed to settle the account by clue date. At the same time Mr Watt, as chairman of the board, forwarded a letter to the Under-Secretary intimating that the decision of the board in granting free current had not been acted on. At the meeting of the board this morning the circumstances were explained, and it was stated that the whole thing was clone in ignorance. A resolution was carried rescindin g the July resolution, granting the chairman free current, and this apparently puts the matter in order.