Tariff Criticism ‘Unfounded’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31110, 13 July 1966, Page 9

Tariff Criticism ‘Unfounded’

The amalgamations with the Banks Peninsula and Malvern boards might well have staved off the day when a tariff increase became inevitable, said the secretary of the Electrical Supply Authorities’ Association (Mr A. M. Heir), in a letter received by the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board at its monthly meeting yesterday.

Mr Hair, thanking the board for help given to a subcommittee of the association which is studying the reorganisation of the electrical supply industry, referred to criticism of the board for making a tariff increase from June 1.

The increase has been attacked by the Hornby Residents’ Association, which maintains that consumers in the urban part of the board’s area are paying for concessions given to the amalgamated areas.

Mr Hair said that the subcommittee’s survey had shown that the amalgamations with Banks Peninsula and Malvern had given considerable benefits to all consumers in the old Springs-Ellesmere area. The better service and greater vision now available to all the board’s consumers

I was something which could not be measured in money, but as years went by, would become increasingly apparent.

“It was evident from our investigation that the present increase in tariff was not caused by the amalgamations,” Mr Hair continued. “We are fully aware of rising costs in the electrical supply industry, and these are not restricted to your district “We are aware that a few of your consumers expressed unfounded fears in connexion with your expansion. In spite of your efforts to demonstrate to these few critics their misapprehension of the true position, this ill-advised sniping continues.” Mr Hair said the benefits of the board’s policy would eventually become self-evi-dent, even to the most stubborn of its critics.