ILLEGAL GRANT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2798, 16 October 1924, Page 3

ILLEGAL GRANT.

♦ POWER BOARD’S DTLEMMA

On the requisition of ilie members excluding the chairman, the Ashburton Electric Power Board held a special meeting with the object of vindicating the position of the chairman (Mr F. W. Watt) in view of the -Ttily decision of rite Hoard to grant him free power. This decision has been pointed out by the Under-Secretary for Public Works (Mr F. W. Furkert) to be illegal, and if given effect to would render the chairman’s office vacant for a period of three years, and make members generally liable to a line of each, and cause them to lose their seats, though they would be eligible for re-election again immediately. Tn .July the members of the Board brought forward the matter of the chairman’s honorarium, it being considered by them that £2OO was insufficient in view of the great amount of time Mr Watt devoted to tlie work, It was pointed out,, however, that the Minister of Public Works had ruled that the honorarium must lie limited to £2OO, and, contrary to the wishes of the chairman, members carried on the discussion, and a- motion was carried granting Mr Watt free current for bis household purposes. It was not until the Under-Secretary drew attention to the matter that the members became aware of the true position. On receipt of the Undersecretary's letter, Mr Watt took legal advice and received confirmation of the fact that the decision of the Board was illegal. This caused Air Watt to pay into the Board’s office the amount involved, a sum slightly over £2, and he also paid a penalty payment for having failed to settle the account by due date. At the same time Mr Watt, as chairman of the Board; forwarded a letter to the Under-Secretary, intimating that flip decision of the'Board in granting free current had not been acted on.

At a recent meeting of the Board the circumstances were explained, and it was stated that''the whole thing-was done in ignorance. A reseda! inn was carried rescinding the July resolution, granting the- chairman free current and this apparently puts the matter in order.