POWER REDUCTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1948, Page 4

POWER REDUCTIONS

Cut 0f 10 fvc ceBt;Short Shutdowns Possible Consequent- on a letter from the Electricity Controller, the Horowhenua Tower JBoard has bepn compeiled to impose on consumers a further 10 per«enh reduction. an ®|lv®3dtiseii®nt today, the board further WUEPS that if the: reduction is not made woluntarily , lt will have no opiion but to impose cpjjspuisory ratipning ^dds that eomplete shutapwn P.erjods will be imposeft whun nebessary py#y Ihe whble Ihe bpard's ;&rea* bgtween Jhe.howfs of 7»80 piixbj^^ 8 jp.nj., or any pther periods.if the neeessifer arisgs, - The managing^seeyetayy, Mr., RA Frederikson,' said tpd.ay that the simpleSt 'way nf cyereoming ihe. situation would be to pyphibit the use -of water heafcers, but fhey felt that ■ domestic consumers had already been carrying S blg burden andr.it was not f air that the restrietrons should all go in that direc-

tion. , , ' During the past few weeks the board had. been exceeding its allocatioii by eight per eent., whieh jneant that to eomfe down to /the level requested* by the duthorities 6-4,000 ujiits would have to be saved weekly. This would mean 25,000 units ad'ditional 'to the previous reduction palled for. Ihe communication from the Controller, Mr. F. T. M. Kissel, read as foilows: "The., exceptionally long, hne summer and dry .conditions ,at .Taupo ahd Waikaremoana, coupted with dimculties which are being met in obtaining aU the eoal and oil required by the ateam statiOns, have rnade. it neeess&ry for the pr.esent rate -of generafion to be reduced meahtime, "The eombined eoal deliyefjes to Evane Bay and King's Wharf over the first nine weeks -,of this year have .a-yeraged 1135 tons, and we have bumed 2185 tons a week. Preeent eoal stoeks are oniy good for about a week' and thefe does not appear to be much likelihood of the position materiaUy improving. Oil f-uei sitpplies have been cut by two-thirds by the London suppliers of the locai oil distributors owing.to the acute shortage !.of tankers. Apparentiy, not until suiBGient new boats are availabie '■will the .position change very much i for the better. [• "The:;p0sition at the. moment is Mtot . unduly.' gerious, but , it' ;may f beoome5 moot serious indeed hiiiess Overy supply ''autbority.'Oh.recei^t of this '' jreduces loaa . ' to ! ' the 'Okteni teauiyed, ;and compi^& ;'with 'any furth'sr reqiiOsts tb .drOp.load'^