CHURCHES AND POWER CUTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 24, 21 April 1950, Page 4

CHURCHES AND POWER CUTS

I Sir, —Today’s Beacon gives a heading ‘Churches Are Against Evening Sunday Cut.’ This is quite incorrect and however innocently incorrect, does injustice to church people who, of all folk, are most used to making sacrifice for the common good. As President of the Ministers’ Association, I wish to make the matter clear. At the first public notice of light cuts, our Association enquired about the possibility of having the church hour of evening service freed from the cut by advancing it half an hour. We were informed that no variation at all could be made in the timetable approved. This declaration we accepted and our people were naturally ready to take their just share of inconvenience. Before many days had passed, we learned that variation had been made and subsequently another change was noted. In this new situation, we wrote having also the support of Father Curley of the Roman Catholic Church asking that on Sunday the light cut be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. thus leaving the church hour (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) free. We pointed out 4 that, with this concession granted, we still had the inconvenience of delaying week-night meetings (which usually commenced at 7 p.m. or 7.30 p.m.) We expressed also the view, that the authorities were showing more tenderness to commerce than to young children when they added a quarter of an hour to each weeknightly restriction. Further, we suggested the saving that could be gained by a tea hour closing of shops on Friday evening. The decision to decline this request is interesting as indication of the scale of values held by our competent authorities. Business must not be embarrassed. Pleasures must be unconfined. Religion can move aside. And if these authorities really meant to proclaim that the churches were “against the Sunday cut” then it is religion that they badly need. For the Ministers’ Association, Yours etc., R. T. DODDS, President. Whakatane, April 19.

QUOTA SYSTEM Sir, —In today’s issue of your newspaper the Mayor is reported to have stated that the Council had been ‘informed’ that the individual quota system of rationing electric power was not a success. There are a great many responsible people in this town who are not *st all satisfied that the quota system would not be a success and I feel certain that they would welcome information as to which authority has tried the quota system and found it to be unsuccessful. It surely has been a great success in Auckland where they were desperately short of power until a quota system was instituted. Last year shortage of staff and administration difficulties were given as the reason for not adopting the quota system here. Now we are told that the Council has been ‘informed’ that it is not a success. It would be interesting to know the real reason why we have not adopted it long ago instead of being subjected to unnecessary power cuts at inconvenient periods. I am sure everyone will be interested in hearing where the Council obtained its ‘information’. Yours etc, ‘COLD WATER.’ Whakatane, April 19.

Sir, —The remarks of the Mayor and Councillor Warren prompt me to ask you and to put before residents, the viewpoint of the Whakatane Citizens’ Association concerning power conservation.

Firstly, I would like to stress the fact that our organisation realises that drastic savings in power are

essential and in this respect we offered co-operation. However, we did object to “cuts” being made without timely notice. F6r instance, the cut from 10.30 p.m. nightly was introduced on a Sunday night. It was announced over the air but seme residents who. were saving power by not using the radio knew nothing f the cuts until the lights went out. The Citizens’ Association is of the opinion that the individual quota system should be introduced. Members of the Association are aware that some people expect that sooner or later a percentage cut on past consumption may be introduced and they are burning unnecessary power so that if a percentage cut is made they will still have a decent allocation. What we desire is that every business man should be allocated enough units to allow him to carry on his business, and every manufacturer should be given enough power to maintain his output but none to waste. .The balance of the power should be allocated to each household the-num-ber of units depending upon the size of the family and the nature of the electrical apparatus that is essential in the household. A schedule could >be compiled and published and each householder could at a glance see how many units of power were available to Ihe different groups, and he would he advised by letter of his own allocation. If he exceeded this amount, in the following period his quota would be reduced by the amount of the over consumption in the previous period. In effect it would mean that power would be available always but if a man decided to finish reading his novel in bed late, he may have to refrain from using power to cook his porridge in the morning. Similarly if several members of the household all insist on heating the iron to do a little pressing at different times during the day or evening they may find that they wouldn’t be able to run the refrigerator all day and the electric stove as well. In spite of Councillor Warren’s emphatic statement that nothing could be gained from an individual quota system, I would challenge him to prove that the system would not produce a guaranteed saving in power, as well as smoke out into the open the-people who are persistently wasteful in the use of it.

Members of the Citizens’ Association are reinforced in their contention by the reports from the Auckland papers which show that the individual quota system did have the effect of producing the necessary saving in power in other places. Auckland is now using the individual quota system for the second year in succession.

If the Council in its wisdom will give the system a trial I have pleasure in offering the services of some of our members who are qualified to assist with the initial clerical work;. In this connection residents will be aware that last year the Council sent out a questionnaire and this data should now be on file in the Council records. The other items in this country which are rationed are butter and petrol. I wonder if it would be effective if instead of the quota system, the bowsers were closed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day and if grocers were prohibited from selling butter between the hours of noon and 4 p.m.

Yours etc., E. J. MAWKES, Hon. Sec., Whakatane Citizens’ Association. Whakatane, April 20.