The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 2nd., 1913. NOTES AND COMMENTS.
At the last ordinary meeting of the Borough Council, the gas committee’s report —which was adopted —included the following paragraph : —“That it be an instruction to the gas manager that the minimum charge to all consumers of gas be 25.” This clause, if it can be legally enforced, will cause a great deal of dissatisfaction among a number of consumers who use very little gas during the summer months. One irate consumer informs us that he will only pay for the quantity of gas consumed, and adds that “the magistrate can settle the legality of the imposition sought to be enforced by the Council.”
Cr Chrystaia has given notice to move at the next meeting of the Council that a municipal coal depot be opened, to be tun in connection with the borough gas works, to sell coal strictly for cash only. We believe Cr Chrystall is actuated by the highest motives in reviving the municipal coal depot question. No provision, however, is made under the Municipal Corporations Act for such purpose, and if any loss —as in the case of municipal pictures —were incurred, the Councillors would be individually called upon to make good such deficiency. Woodville Borough, for some time past, has been retailing coal —in fact, that municipality has had a monopoly of such- trade —and its transactions have shown a profit to the Council. The audit office wrote objecting to the coal trade of the council as ultra vires. From a legal point of view we question whether such motion can be tabled. That is a question, however, for the Council’s legal adviser. The point is: what justification is there for a municipal coal depot ? It is possible for a few people to combine and purchase their supplies from the State at a lower price than the Council could retail at. We believe, even if the Council could trade outside the Act, that the results would not justify the experiment.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1128, 2 August 1913, Page 2
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334The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, August 2nd., 1913. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1128, 2 August 1913, Page 2
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