HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2430, 18 May 1922, Page 3

HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

VARIOUS MATTERS DISCUSSED. ■j .jJji. /meejfipg of the Horowhenua Electric Ppwer Board was held in . JidVin on Tuesday. Present,,: Messrs A. Mfrttk (chairman), A. A. . Jlrown, Whibley. C. Kilsby, A; Gunning, D. W.,Matheson,.Baxter arid Mackay. RAISING A LOAN. . • • . The Manawatu-Oroua Power lioard wrote stating- it was proposed ! to commence negotiations at an earin.connection, with the raising of the. proposed joint loan between the Wanganui-Rangitikei, • Tararua, Horowhenua, Dannevirke - ' and Manai'aturOroua Boards, “and been requested to ascertain if:it is still the intention of your Board to., join in the-proposal, and - if so, to request you to forward the amount of your>estimates to be included in the loan proposal. This matter wil] be discussed at the next meeting of my Board, to be held on . . June 12, and I" shall be glad if you will kindly forward the information before that date.”' a The chairman said Manawatu evidently proposed to carry on negotiations when they got the esti r ■ mates. That was not the idea of . the conference at all. He wjjs not in favour of any one Board or its representatives conducting these negotiations. (Hear, hear). This Board should reply stating the money it required, and stating that, in 'its opinion, a further \conference should be called. It was not left entirely in the hands of the Manawatu /. Board to open negotiations, as they evidently intended. - ' THE ENGINEER’S ENGAGEMENT.

The Central Power Board wrote thanking the Board for its offer to allow Mr Overton to make periodi- , cal visits of inspection, and stating that he had been appointed Consulting, for a period , of 12 . rrionths from date of the termination of his present position, should he be so long required, and the Board’s consent whs'asked to him occupting the dual position. The chairman and members of the Horowhenua Board were assured of a cordial reception should they desire to visit the Wiaikato. district. >' Mr Whibley said .he understood the Engineer would receive £250 per annum, as Consulting Engineer for the Central Board. He did not think it was quite a fair thing seeing that he was also to ( receive £I,OOO per year from this Board. The chairman said that'personally lie could not see any harm in it. The Board knew that the Engineer was bburid to give three months’ nov tiee to the- Central Board, N but. m order. to have his services sooner had-suggested that he could act in an advisory capacity to the Central ... Board if they desired it. On the other hand, it was stated in the schedule of duties that he was entirely in this Board’s service. It was for the Board to say whether it'agreed. The speaker had made the sugges- ; tion at the last meeting that the Engineer could advise the other Board until his successor was appointed. The Engineer would not get his full salary here until he took up the position.

Mr Brown said the chairman made the oiler to. the Engineer to assist the-Central Board. ‘ Mr Matheson: “And the Board was quite agreeable.” The chairman said this Board was .going to save a considerable amount in salary' by the arrangement. The Engineer would not be able. to take up his position for some weeks, though - the speaker : would like to have him there when '.)■■■ -- the loan proposals were being put before the people. Personally he - did not think it mattered very much to -them what the Central Board were, paying. : Mx Whibley: I think it does. When we engaged a "secretary, we made » . the arrangement direct with the County Council. The arrangement with the Central Board be made with the Horowhenaa Ueetrie Power Board. The Chairman: They are snggest- . ing that in this Tetter. Than Board can , turn the proposal down if it likes, bat one Board should assist , another as far as it could. ' • Mr Whibley agreed that the Board should try to work in with the others but the Engineer was getting a good salary, and it was not a fair thing | ,t|ah,hq shoul^ .get this,s2so. . i ' f- ' 'Mr ‘Mackay could not sde what | objeefionffchere cbuld be to the Cen- ? tral Board paying the money if they ...; f were prepared. It was rats her a-leather in the Engineer’s ea|> / V that they should be williiy to; pay him.

i j Mif Seifert said this Board wanted : the Engineer as. .soon as-possible, and to get him quickly, it had made i .... an offer to allow him to, advise the 'Central Hoard. The Engineer was v not on full salary here yet, bat he was doing wliat the Board required. He saw no objection to the arrangement, but in other circumstances ,■ ‘‘ he might not agree to such a course. Mr Matheson: The Board had to . . appoint an Engineer to allow them •to get, on with the work, they had no . i finance, and until .they arranged a loan were not able to purchase mat- •; erial. They had made an arrangement whereby the Engineer could give the Board an interim report and do other preliminary work that would enable them to get their money and commence operations. They wanted to clearly understand that in the -meantime the Engineer was V' not getting his fall salary from Horowhenua. They would be very foolish to keep him here and pay him the rail salary when they had no .. work for him.,to do, and when the

other Boards could make full use of his services. It should also be clearly understood that this Board had first call on the Engineer. Apart from that, he could see no objection to the arrangement which meant getting the Engineer’s advice much sooner Ilian otherwise would have been possible. The eliairiiian: And we do not want to do any injustice to the Cen-tral-Board. . .

The chairman moved that the agreement with the Central Board bo made for six months, and reviewed at the end of that time. He asked tho Engineer to state his point of view. Mr Overton said he was rather sorry the question had cropped up, because the Central Board had simply regarded the £250 a year as paying his railway fare .and travelling expenses when he went there. It was not .worth while for the sum mentioned going up there, spending hit time and trouble and putting in a couple of nights in the train. A thousand pounds looked a big salary, but, as a matter of fact, it was nothing great under the circumstances. By the time he had shifted his home, which would cost fully £IOO bought*a motor-car capable of takihg him' round the district, and bought a house, considerable inroads would have been made into it. He could have had £I,OOO in the Waikato and stayed there, blit had accepted this Board’s position and was going to keep to his .undertaking with them.

j The chairman’s motion was then agreed • [