POWER CUTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 89, 20 May 1949, Page 4

POWER CUTS

Sir, —When the night power cuts were introduced at Whakatane some weeks ago who did the authorities consider? I don’t think the public received much consideration If cuts had to be introduced, and I think they did, why couldn’t they have started at 11 p.m. instead of the present 10.30 p.m., and come on half an hour later the following morning? This half an hour would not have made much difference to the consumption but it is an important period for the general public. Most people will agree that power cuts are necessary during the winter months but if . they are to be introduced the authorities should select a reasonable time and I don’t think to start at 11 p.m. is unreasonable. • Yours etc., yJAMES CUTFAIR. This letter was referred to the electrical department of the Whakatane Borough Council who gave the following explanation. The time for the power cuts was worked out by engineers of the different power boards of the Bay of Plenty. The period from 10.30 p.m. instead of II p.m. was selected, because to make up for the amount of power consumed during that half hour would mean keeping power cut off about 1 hours longer the following morning. This could not be done as amongst the people affected were bakers who commenced work at 2 a.m. Editor. Sir, —How much longer are we, the ratepayers of Whakatane, going to be inconvenienced by the power cuts? Have our Mayor and his councillors looked into the matter, or are they prepared to just sit in the dark and allow their supporters to suffer. We have not been told why Whakatane is the only district in New Zealand to suffer a complete shutdown nightly. Some districts have chopped the water heaters out for long periods, but we also have that here, besides having no power at all for 2-|- hours nightly.

Travellers to our town assure us that we are the only sufferers. Why is this so? Perhaps we have increased our power demans over the past' few years, but surely other towns in New Zealand have also grown. Perhaps having a new mill in the Borough has helped bring about the present shortage, the demand there being in the vicinity of 100 horsepower, or enough power to supply many all-electric home with light" and heat. Granted, the mill is an asset to the district, but does the mill suffer through the power cuts? If we are to have these very.trying periods, let us be told why we in Whakatane must do so alone, or is it that other centres do not take so much sitting down. Thank goodness we have an election coming along soon. Maybe it is time we made some long-await-ed changes in our selection.

Yours etc.,

JUST ANOTHER SUFFERER,