STRAND LIGHTING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 98, 13 August 1943, Page 5

STRAND LIGHTING

POWER RATIONING DIFFICULTY PARTIAL I LLUMIXATION Some difficulty has been experienced in trying- to keep the unit loading down to' somewhere near the quota set for this area by the Public Worfca Department. The Bay of Plenty Beacon has given valuable assistance in appealing to the public to assist the Council to conserve the power as much as is possible in the Whakatane area of supply.—Thus a section of the Electrical Engineer's report to the Whakatane Borough Council, last Mond'ay evening. The Deputy Mayor said that there was no doubt a great need for the -most rigid economy and lie understood that the council now planned to put all domestic hot-water ■cylinders on time switches. The engineer said that the experience of the past had shown that the consumers could conserve the supply when they wanted to for after each reminder in the "BEACON" the supply had come within the ration margin. It w;us a matter of constant reminding to 'keep it sdown. That Road-block Discussing the poor illumination Of the Strand, the Mayor, Mr U.S. JBarrj"., mentioned, the Commerce Street road-block which lie said was becoming a dangerous obstruction and should be remo,ved. The Borough Foreman said he 1111<<lerstood that steps were now being ■taken by the Home Guard authori-1 '.ties to remove both the Commerce .'Street block and the one in the iWaimana Gorge. Councillors agreed that it was j liighly dangerous in its present con-. ► dition and hoped, that its removal ".■would not he long delayed. Street Lighting ' "Cr Shapley mentioned that several ratepayers had complained to him regarding the dangerous state of the 1 Strand with all the street lights cut off, and had claimed that even Matata was better off than Whakatane. He considered that a town of. Whakatane's size warranted at least partial lighting on dark nights and failed to see that such a measure would affect the rationing to any degree. He would like to (know the possibilities of having a few lights on at least. The Mayor said that lie understood the Power Board would be declining from now on and it would therefore be possible to give a certain number of lights. The electrical engineer agree 1 '.that this would be possible, by cutriing out lights from the side streets.