POWER RESTRICTIONS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 128, 11 July 1941, Page 4

POWER RESTRICTIONS

IN view of the fact that Whakatane has been accused of exceeding* its quota in the use. of electrical energy, since the imposition of Government restrictions, leads us to offer some comment on the recent statement issued by the Hon. R. Semple to whom certain criticism was referred. It is alleged that the 'blackout' was not imposed as a safety measure to guard against possible enemy attack, but rather that it was instituted to assist in the general conservation of power following the decrease of the auxiliary supply resulting from the recent coal strikes. The inability of Arapuni and other generating stations to provide all the necessary current is stated to be due to the fact that certain vital machinery which was to have brought production to its peak, had yet to be imported from Belgium, and the war restrictions are responsible for the delay. Thus the auxiliary plants, which are dependent on coal for their generating power are expected to produce to the maximum capacity in. order to meet the increasing demand. The slowing: up of the coal supply owing: to periodic strikes it is claimed, has crippled, the auxiliary plants to such a degree that they are unable to meet the demand, and hence 'the blackout' Just how much truth lies in the above assertion, which has gained wide currency, is known best to the authorities themselves. The Minister has given it an emphatic denial. But it is interesting in passing., to draw attention to the time when Whakatane bent on assisting itself towards an independent supply of electricity to safeguard its consumers against the increased burden of peak load' charges, made application for the installation of two diesel engines for generating purposes, the application being refused on the grounds that such plants would be superfluous. Whakatane residents to-day will have a different view on the matter for such an emergency which has now occurred, would have had no ill-effects upon a borough with an independent stand-by plant. It is however no use crying over spilt milk, but perhaps in future the powers that be will be more indulgent when it comes to small communities endeavouring to help themselves by insuring against a possible 'shortage of the electrical supply.