HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2416, 11 April 1922, Page 3

HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

RATE NOT TO BE COLLECTED. At last night’s Council meeting, Cr. Whibley, in giving an outline of what had been done so far in regard to the Horowhenua Electric Power Board, said that the Board had decided to call applications for an engineer, and had decided not to do anything .until one had been appointed. In regard to the striking of a rate, the position is that the Board cannot obtain an overdraft at the Bank in anticipation of revenue, and as they have no revenue at present, the Board decided to strike a rate as a guarantee of the advance. It was however, their intention not to collect the rate. The Mayor said he was pleased that this had been pointed out, as if the Board intended to collect the rate it would be a matter of £IOO a year to this borough. In connection with the cost of the Board, he was quite sure that Cr. Whibley would assist to keep down the capital expenditure and rates. Unless the Board was careful, the .cost of power would not compete successfully with other schemes. There was no doubt that there would be serious competition with oil companies, who would lower the cost of petrol to compete with electrical power. ' Cr. Ross said that the scheme was not going to successfully compete with suction gas. In his opinion the Board should try and get the Government to reduce the cost to Boards.