ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 91, 22 November 1939, Page 5

ELECTRICAL ENERGY

WHAKATANE HEADS PROBLEM ONEPU SUPPLY DISCUSSED The monthly meeting of the Bay of Plenty Electric Power Board was held at the BoimPs Office, Opotiki, last Tuesday. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed and accounts passed for payment. Correspondence dealing with the proposed purchase of land in Whakatane borough for building pur-* poses, was read and briefly discussed The monthly report and half-year-ly report were presented by Mr Dicker and approved. Mr Gault congratulated Mr Dicker on his reports and the favourable position shown. Pay of Soldiers. The question of the subsidising of soldiers' pay by local bodies and others came lip for discussion. Mr Dicker said that the private employees were not in a position to subsidise payments; the Government was not doing it, and it Avoukt not be fair for the board to do it. Mr Maxwell said it would be most unfair if the soldiers' pay were subsidised. It was a policy that should not be adopted by any board. Mr Burt: What is the difference between a Power Board employee: and one of my workers? There should not be any difference. Mr Maxwell claimed that any man who volunteered' should have the same treatment as any other vo!un-» teer, and was supported in this contention by other board members.) Whakatane Heads Petition. A petition signed by ten property owners and residents of the Whakatane Heads was received, asking for the reticulation of the Whakatane Heads area and promising a guarantee . Mr Burt said that at first the Whakatane Borough Council \said they were not going to have anything to do with the scheme. Now they had turned around, after all the trouble the board had gone to. It appeared the council were now using the lever that the Heads would not get power unless the area came into ,the borough;. He thought there should be some means of getting power to the Heads.

Mr MaxAvell said the board could, not do anything until they had official information from the Whakatane Borough Council. Mr Burt agreed with this view but at the same time asked when the Heads was going to get the power— in three years? Mr Sumner said they had to remember that "the Heads was in the board's area. If the borough were of a different opinion now the board should take up the matter at the next meeting. Mr Sumner , then moved-: "That the Whakatane Borough Council be immediately communicated with and informed of the petition and request ing a reply as to whether the terms of the agreement entered into between the borough and power board's committees had been altered to such, an extent as lo affect the prospect of power arriving at the Heads in a reasonable period. On receipt of a reply the same committee be appointed to wait on the borough coun oil or otherwise with power to act."

The motion was seconded by Mr Burretf and carried. Onepu Settlement. The question of supply to the Onepu settlement was brought up by Mr Burt and discussed. As a result of the department's explanation, con sideration is being given to extensions. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the