POWER SHORTAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 100, 17 June 1949, Page 4

POWER SHORTAGE

Sir, —I believe the majority of citizens would definitely welcome an individual household power quota system for the Borough. If the Mayor is satisfied that the Borough can remain within its present quota of power if consumers eliminate waste (as reported in your newspaper) why has he not insisted on the institution of a consumer quota system. The excuse of staff shortage is not acceptable. Almost every businessman is faced with staff shortage, and if it is affecting his business he does something definite about it.

The individual quota system has proved successful and workable elsewhere (despite staff shortages) and as it is apparent that local consumers will not conserve voluntarily surely it is the Council’s duty to ensure equitable distribution of available power by allotting each consumer a fair share each month. Those of us who have done something about conserving power are getting no satisfaction from the Council’s reports that consumers generally are not co-operating; the Council is there to see that they do assist by conserving. May I congratulate you on your recent leading article drawing attention to the unfortunate position. Your criticism was well merited, and if the Council had faced up to the matter two months ago instead of dealing with it in the half-heart-ed manner they did, we would not .have had to go to the Controller at this stage and ask for an increased allocation for the Borough. Adequate control is all that is required, not more power, and after two months of shilly-shallying we hope the Council will realise that.

Yours etc.,

‘ONE WHO HAS CONSERVED’