ELECTRICITY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17123, 19 April 1921, Page 7

ELECTRICITY.

PROGRESS LEAGUE AND COUNCIL USE OF CITY EXPERTS. The City Council last night- considered at- length a request from tho Progross League for tho use of the services of the city engineer and the city electrical engineer, in the carrying out of certain investigations., Tho organiser of the Canterbury Progress League wrote stating that i meeting of the League's Emergency Committee had been called for Tuesday for the purpose of considering further , action in connexion with the Harper river diversion at Lake Coleridge. A suggestion would.bo brought forward that a select committee ot tne League should bo set up tp carry out a thorough investigation of the wnoie electrical situation from the point or view of tho consumers of Canterbury. In anticipation of that proposal being adopted, ho was directed to ask the Council if it would kindly pl«e the services of the city engineer, Mr lionson, and the general manager ot tno electrical department, Mr Hitchcock, at the disposal of the League, should they be required. , Or. J. A. Fleshor moved that the request should be referred to the JMectricitv Committee. It was, he said, a serious question as to whether, their officers should be placed at the disposal oven of the Progress League. Ihe Counoil'fi officers had confidential information, which should not be disclosed to anybody. The motion was seconded by vr. P. Agar, who said tho Electricity Committee was gathering data on the Wairoakariri Bcheme, and it would place Mr Hitchcock in a most difficult position if he was expected to try and servo two masters. . Cr. H. T. Armstrong said the Pro-m-ess League were acting on behalf ot the people of Canterbury in the desirable work of developing tho Lake Coleridge supply. The League was quite justified in asking for the assistance and advice of the electrical engineer and Mr Dobson, and he did. not think tho Council would be doing right in refusing the 1 request. He would move as an amendment, that the request be complied with. _ The amendment was seconded by w. E Langley, who said the Council assisted tho League to carry on its activities, and anything done by tne League must be to the advantage ot the city generally. It ( would be quite unwise o? the Oounoil to refuse the pr Cr n A/fi ß iams said all would agree as to the good work being done by the Progress League, but he considered the Council was bound to refer the present request to the Electricity Committee. The Council had no right to go beyond the Electricity Committee. ■ Or E. F. Stead, who supported the amendment, said it seemed to him the Progress League were not going to asic for more than help on technical points. The Mayor: They talk about the whole situation. , Cr Stead: I take that to mean the whole situation regarding the supply of electricity from Lake Coleridge. 1 don't think imy member of **«»»: mittee can feel affronted sf the deques, ia acceded to, The works the Government have put in at the Harper are quite inadequate to affect more than a temporary and precarious diversion, and to my mind we cannot support the activities of tho League too heartily. Cr. H. Hunter said tho frst time tine Progress League asked for practical help some councillors opposed vt. t Cr. A. Manhire said he did not think any councillor objected to expert help being given to the Progress League, but it was another matter to hnnd over the control of the officers named to vm League. . . . t • ■•> Ctl a quibble. ■■;••■ Cr. ,F. S. Cooke said the Councils officers would use their discretion as to the information, they would give tho League. ■ «■ , Cr. D. G. Sullivan said tliere was no intention on the part of che League to cast a reflection on the Electricity Committee. What the League wanted was the help of experts to conduct an expert investigation. • A report from an expert committee would be of value to the whole of Canterbury. He did not think there would be any conflict of interests between the Council and tha League, but in any event any information not considered desirable to communicate could be withheld. * Cr. Agar said the Electricity Committee would not be likely to object to the Council's officers assisting tbo League, but it would be quite a wroiij? procedure to place" those officers under the control of the Leaguo. ' Cr. J. W. Beanland urged that if the matter were referred'to the committee, the, committaie- should moot forthwith, and give the requisite aut'hority in time for the League's meeting. Cr. Armstrong suggested that the motion should be amended in the direction of referring the request to tho Electricity Committee for favourable action.

Cr. Flesher said the Electricity Committee could be trusted io act in thy interests of the Council as well as of the League. The request covered a very wide order and embraced the whole electrical situation. The Council had a proposal to conserve the current, and there was also a proposal to create a Power Board to control cur-ent supply in tihe district. There was no particular urgency so far as the request was concerned. Cr. Armstrong's amendment, "That the request be complied with," was defeated on tho casting vote of the Mayor, the voting being:—-Ayes (9): Crs. Beanland, Cooke, Sullivan, O'ltorke, Hunter, Langley, Armstrong, Stead, and Harper. Noes (9): Crs. Andrews, Burgoyne, Jameson, Worrall, Manhiro, Agar, Flesher, Williams, and the Mayor. motion referring tiho request to the Electnoity Committee was carried.