POWER BOARDS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 8

POWER BOARDS.

A GRIEVANCE VENTILATED. (SPECIAL TO "THE l'BISS.") DANNEVIRKE, Juno 10. Speaking at- the hydro-electric switching-on ceremony at Dannevirko this afternoon, Mr E. A. Ransom, M.P., mentioned a matter which ho thought ought to bo rectified. It was., ho said, thef handicap put upon the smaller Tower Board* through their having to pay a higher rate for their current than the larger boards paid. Ho stated as an example, that whereas the larger boards paid at the ruto of £8 for some of their current, the smaller boards would pay at the rate of £lO for at least half of their current. , . . . ~ Replying to this point, Coates, the Primo , Minister,' said the basis of. the charges was that they had to get a certain amount of cash, and the next thing was to see that the work was done efficiently ana as cheaply as possible, in order that the current would b& as chwip as it could bo made. If the price of the first kva was reduced, the price of the rest had to be increased. The object was to encourage th* sale of electricity If the price of the first 200 kva> was reduced, the boards might not bother to sell as much current as they would bother to dispose of under the present arrangement. At tome future time the authorities might bo able to give the power to the people at a reduced rate, but in the meantime it was unwise to push on too much to posterity, and in addition, ho might add, that the settlers did not want too much of a, burden placed on their land. "As a. matter of fact," he proceeded: "I don't think it is the Government taxation which is the burden of settlera to-day. A good deal of it is the local rating." ... Mr Coates expressed the opmioiv that if the hydro-electric schemes,were managed well, they would be paying within three or four years, therefore, the taxpayers need have nothing to fear. Some people thought the taxpayer was the man with a big piece of land, but the fact was that all the poople- were "taxpayers.. The scheme ttiey had -started would • not' be anyImrden on the taxpayers after three or four years. The scheme would be paying and from then on would go oh pro* dncing revenue.