POWER CUTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 96, 8 June 1949, Page 4

POWER CUTS

We’re glad to know That you are getting sore Now power cuts are increasing By more and more and more. About “black shadows” in the bath — By Heaven, you are right! For after rain we get them there At morning, noon AND night! E.D.M.D. It’s nice to feel our little squeal Has caught somebody’s ear. Though power’s short and water ought To be a better colour Why shed a tear? There’s cause to fear Our lives could be much duller. * Ed. Sir, —I should be grateful if, through medium of your columns, I could ask some questions of the Powers of Darkness who are responsible for our present electrical nightly cut-offs. I have recently returned from a trip through Taranaki and Wanganui. There I found no restrictions on power whatever. Right through New Plymouth, Hawera, Stratford, Inglewood, Eltham, Wanganui, etc. no blackouts, lights all night, plenty of hot water. Wellington also has no restrictions. I return to the Bay to hot water once a week, nightly blackouts, and, to add insult to injury, '‘threats of further restrictions. Why there have not been shoals of protests is beyond me. I should like the authority responsible to inform the people of this district (a) Why are we the only ones to suffer the cuts? (b) What is our quota? (c) By how much do we exceed it? (d) Is the quota large enough? (e) Are the cuts necessary to enable factories just started to run? And finally, what are they going to do about it? Let us save power so that the rest of the North Island will have plenty. Yours etc., IN THE DARK. We are sending your questions to the Power Board, the Electricity Controller and the Minister of Works. We want the answers, too. Editor.

Sir, —It was with a feeling of despair that I read the article forecasting power cuts for this district. As we await this gruesome event I can’t help thinking of the trials ahead of us and of the rugby and cricket broadcasts that will be on the air while we are off the air. apart from that, what a welcome home it is after a hard day’s work, to open the door and find a candle burning and children waiting for the lights to come on so they can have their baths and be put to bed. I had the pleasure of a trip through Whakatane on a Sunday evening and there certainly wasn’t any shortage of power there, a number of houses had almost all the rooms lit up and one householder even had a light burning outside his house just to show contempt for the appeal to save power. Now Sir, I have just recently returned from a visit to Taranaki and Auckland. In Taranaki the quota system has kept the lights on for the past two years, no complaints anywhere. In the Queen City the cuota system is also in operation. Last year the space in papers given to complaints rivalled advertisements, this year no mention of shortages. Is Whakatane going to stand alone in New Zealand and draw the switch all time or is it going to clamp down on this vyanton waste of this valuable aid and make the careless householder suffer for his misdeeds.

We, who have saved the power deserve this quota system, let- those who exceed the allocation be disconnected* but don’t , make the majority suffer for<the few. Thanking you Mr Editor for your space and hoping that some abler pen than mine will carry this on. Yours etc., “QUOTA.” Taneatua, 3/6/49. Sir, —Allow me to congratulate you. on Wednesday’s leading article. I believe that Opotiki, under the same Power Board as ourselves, has had no complete blackouts yet this year, and so far has not been threatened with any. I agree with you there is a darned sight too much control by too many controllers and other such officials in many aspects of our national life.

If it was good enough to send the boys to fight for freedom, it should be good enough to kick up a fuss when wd" haven’t got it. It’s time ,we realised we employ the Government to run this country for OUR good. Yours etc., LET THERE BE LIGHT.