REDUCTION IN POWER USAGE IS URGENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 7, 13 October 1948, Page 5

REDUCTION IN POWER USAGE IS URGENT

Cuts Must Come ■ • Unless All Help Once again the power supply position is causing the State hydro - electricity authorities deep concern, and advice has been received by the Borough Electrical Engineer, Mr F. W. Lysaght, from the .Controller, that further reductions will have to be made in the local power demand. The Controller has stated that each supply authority will have to adhere rigidly to its set quota, or direct action will be necessary. Mr Lysaght said yesterday that up to this point the Borough had been very fortunate in having no compulsory cuts, but if power usage continued at its present rate he could see no alternative. As has been pointed out before, Whakatane’s demand has outstripped its quota to the point where residents have to be extremely careful if are to keep within the limit allowed for this area. Even with extreme economy it might still .be impossible to avoid cuts; but Mr Lysaght pointed out that the best insurance against drastic action by the authorities was a really sincere effort by. the people themselves to co-operate. If a .spell of dry weather sets in, the outlook was pretty grim, - he added.