Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 8, 1950

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 41, 8 May 1950, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 8, 1950

THE POWER CUTS And what of the power cuts? The controversy as to the rights and wrongs of the present power cuts has been raging both in the press and on the street for some time now and nobody seems to be getting anywhere. In most cases those people who have expressed their opinions in the correspondence columns have obviously been ignorant of the true situation, while the WhaKatane Citizens’ Association has been suffering a similar frame of mind. i

They are not to be blamed unduly. The borough council has not made the true situation known to the people and, while it must be agreed that no local body can tell the people everything, it is sound policy to keep ratepayers' acquainted with current affairs. In the case of Whakatane the power shortage is a live

Various alternative systems to the cuts have been suggested but at its meetings the borough council has turned them down in favour of the cuts. The usual reason has been that the council has gone into the alternatives and after full consideration has come to the conclusion that the cuts are the only way to save power. This is probably true. The word of men on an elected local body should not be doubted. But, if the present controversy is any indication, ratepayi rs want to know more and they can hardly be blamed for that.

The cuts have affected all the j eople m their own homes and interrupted their evenings very personally so that it is not surprising that they should warn to know “why”? It should be agreed by all that the borough council would not institute cuts if they were not really necessary. In this case they seem to be. Whatever may be the position regarding the Lorough’s quota Whakatane has

been given an allocation and told to keep within it. This will hardly be attained if the council insists on the cuts and residents insist that a quota system will work equally as well. It needs the co-operation of each and every person in the district with the borough cpuncil, both sides working together. Nothing will be gained by petty quarrelling and name calling. The suggestion contained in Wednesday’s Beacon that the present power position as it exists in Whakatane today should be placed before the people by the Mayor is a good one. Perhaps the meeting could be called by the Whakatane Citizens’ Association. Here all differences could be ironed out and the council could find the true feelings of the people. In turn the Citizens’ Association and those present will be able to find why the cuts are so necessary and, perhaps, a greater saving may be made if the meeting results in all differences and misunderstandings being cleared. v This would not only have a beneficial effect on the power situation but also on the progress of the town in other directions.