Rural Electricity Consumers Would Prefer Baths to Radio Music

Chronicle (Levin), 17 March 1949, Page 4

Rural Electricity Consumers Would Prefer Baths to Radio Music

"We go inside after a tongi day's- hard work expecting to get a bath, but we don't, we get .Frank Sinatra or the Andrew Sisters over the radio instead. If the* broadcasting hours were cut down, maybe we could get an extra bath a week These were some of the comments made by Mr. V. J. Cottle, the leader of a deputation from the Otaki-Te Horo branch oi' Federated Farmers and Women's Division to the monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board yesterday. Several important matters were raised by the deputation on the questiori of water heating restrictions and power rationing generally in the district.

The deputation had not come in •»any atmosphere of hostility, but was seeking information and to pass to the board the views of some jf its- consumers, remarked Mr. Cottle after he and three other members, Mesdames R. W. Jenkins and V. J. Cottle and Mr. E. J. Jensen, had been welcomed by the chairman, Mr. T. G. Vincent. There were two major >points which he wished to raise. The first was connected with the quancity of power the board had been allocated by the Electricity Controller. "We wondered whether the controller nad had the case for this district put to him. Has the question of ffie increased growth of ihe district been taken into account? Is the allocation of an increase of five per cenc over iast year's consumption sufftcient? Secondiy, we would like to bring in the question of broadcasting," said Mr. Cottle. "We have in our area people with a house on the farm or in town and one at the beach. Do they get a double quota? If so, then 1 cian erect a bach on the beach and go

there and get plenty of hot water. "In regard to the question of households which have diminished or grown in size, has this factor been taken into account when making out the quotas for the individual rationing scheme?" The Housewife's View The view taken by the women of the distrist were put by Mrs. Jenkins. The" matter had been discusse'd in the.various women's organisations to which she belonged, she said, and she would like, firstly, co point out that most women were being as economical as possible with electricity. She felt, however, that those who had tried to -cut down had been penalised: by the system of rationing. Last year When consumers had been asked to restrict the consumption of power, ohe women of the country districts had done so, but when the restrictions had been eased, the townspeople on the pilot-wire control had had the rationing lifted long before the rural districts- had been

notified. Mrs. Jenkins also touehed on the matter of beach cottages. Raising the question of flood-lit sports, Mrs. Jenkins asked whether electricity should be made available for such gatherings. She also pointed out that in her arpa, an institution kept a street light going in its courtyard for the greater part of the night, and asked whether it wks controlled.by the institution or as a street-light. The position from the view of pubhc health was tackled by Mr. Jensen, who explained that this point really arose when last year, during the poliomyeiitis epidemic, the health authorities had urged the use of disinfectants. He could not see how this could be carried" out without ample hot water. He instanced- several cases where he" had been toid that other boards were either not cut at all or very little, and asked why the consumers of the Horowhenua area should be penalised and not .those of other districts. Chairman's Reply In replying to the points raised, Mr. Vincent said! in regard to Mr. Cottle's question as to whether the board was getting a reasonable allocation from the controller, that every factor in connection with the district had been put before the controller, who - had with him a committee of the Electric Power Boards' and Supply Authorities' Association. Six per cent was the maximum extra allocation given to

any board in New Zealand. "So far as we know, the aliocations are bemg made equitably and fairly. Speaking generally, the demand in- r creases 10 per cent each year. In j.h -that case,, the demand doubles. itself even seven years. For the next couple of years, things are going to grow grimmer and grimmer. The controller can only grant an overall increase of four per cent in the North Isiand and when the 10 per cent increase in demand is taken into consideration, you can 'see what that means. "May I say that we are entirely behind you in regard to the oroadeastmg hours," commented Mr. Vincent. He pointed out that the Horowhenua board was the first to raise the matter and was stih worried by the long hours which stations were broadcasting. Beach cottages had given the board some concern, he remarked. However, the deputation would do well to realise that ihe allocation the board received was based on the power used over the past years and these cottages had been using

power during that period. "I think they are entitled to power because tney helped to build' up the consumption," he added. No weekend cottage was allowed to in&tall electric water-heaters, however. Finaily, of course, the question of a change in the size of the family was taken into account by the rationing committee. To Mrs. Jenkins, h'e would say that every member of the board appreciated that a housewife was as economical as she could be. He would suggest that if the present scheme was not suitable, then there was only one other method of rationing — and that was by "pulling switches." To have to resort to this, just when a housewife needed the power, was surely less satisfac- • tory than being able to use the power whenever a consumer lilced. "We feel that this system is the fairest to all consumers. And yet, a few years ago, we were going around begging people to bum power."

Psychological Effect With regard to the flood-lit sports, he would like to point out that all street lights in the board's area burnt 60,000 units a year. The average daily consumption for the district was 80,000 units. "If we cuf out all the street lights in the district for a whole year, we would not save enough to give us anothc r day's consumption. Of course, we realise tiie psychological effect of the lights, but we feel tnat this board owes a duty to its consumers." Speaking with regard to the cutting of water-heaters during the poliomyeiitis epidemic, Mr. Vmcent said it had to be realised that the board's hands were tied and it had to do what it was told. In connection with the areas mentioned as having little or no restrictions, he said that the majority of boards had more stringent rationing than the local one. While the restrictions had been greater in the Horowhenua than in some districts, they were far less than in many others. "I would like you to realise that we have not gone into this thing lightly. We have given it eVery consideration possible and we are hopeful that the assistance and eo-opera-tion of the consumers, which we have had' in the past, will be brought forward again," he concluded. The managing-secretary, Mr. R. A. Frederikson,. then discussed some of the more technical aspects of the deputation's questions.