ELECTRICITY IN BULK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5098, 9 March 1927, Page 2

ELECTRICITY IN BULK.

CHARGES TO BOROUGH&

A writer to the Te Aroha News,, under the nom-de-plume. of “Verandah Post ” contributes the following:—

Mr Flatt, pf Paeroa—sometimes known as the honourable member, for Paeroa—is worrying over the price the Power Board is charging the boroughs of Te Aroha and Thames for electric power. .Whenever he gets an idea into his head he works. It for all it is worth, and he scarcely ever allows a meeting of the Power Board to pass without pestering members with hallucinations about enormous losses on t.he power sold to these two boroughs. Mr Joe Price, of Matamata, who suffers to a lesser degree from the same complaint, is generally ready to back him up. If the Power. Board would be prepared to deal with Paeroa and Matamata on the same basis as they deal with Te Aroha and Thames we would hear nothing about the unsatisfactory nature of the present arrangement. Mr Flatt has been begged by .the board not ta press for a new agreement with the Public Works Department, and information was given showing that it would be very imprudent to do so, but in his anxiety to get at the .two boroughs he would jeopardise the major interests of the board. It was decided a month ago to go into the question of revising the charges to Thames and Te, Aroha, and Mr Flatt could not, conceal his chagrin when he learned on Tuesday that a decision would have to be postponed for another month. His pockets were bulging witli papers containing notes and figures which were to be used in convincing the board that it is absolutely giving the juice away. Hr Flatt does not, want to be further delayed in giving Te Aroha and Thames a reminder that they are as happy as they think they are, and that like upper, and nether millstones they are net going to be permitted to grind to powder t.he intervening town the interests of which are closely bound up with his own. Te Aroha and Thames may 'have been progressive and may have shown foresight in adopting their own electric power scheme, but there are always Flatts and Prices to be reckoned with, and jealousy and envy are bitter foes. The Pawer Board members are not on the whole to be influenced by extravagant language or a distort,ton of facts, and when the prices to the boroughs are dealt with the result will probably cause very little concern. The board will have before it all the information that can be obtained, and is not likely to make any change that cannot be supported by- facts and figures. I. do not, wish to discuss the matter from of view of Borough versus Power Board, or town versus country, or to say anything that will foment bad feeling. A fair deal for both sides is what As wanted, and it should be remembered that Mr Flatt is not. the Power BeardAs a member it is hard to say how he happened. Some of these meh who get on to local bodies are most amusing fellows. One minute you will hear them proclaiming their broadmindedness and emphasising the need for looking at every question from the point of view of the general good and the next, we find them acting a part which convinces one that they have never got beyond the circumscribed .area of their own small towns and interests.