CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC POWER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4432, 27 March 1930, Page 1

CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC POWER.

REDUCTION FOE FLAXMILLS ■CONSIDERED. At last week’s meeting' of: the florowhenua Power Board a request was reeeived from Mr L. McCarthy, of Poston, for a reduction in the charge for .(power for tlaxmilling. He stated that, unless it could he reduced to Id per unit for the day load, he. would have to close his mill until an improvement in the hemp market took place. He suggested that the charge he Id per unit, with a minimum of 24,000 units per quarter. 'Unless some concession was made, many men engaged at flaxmills would he thrown out of work. The chairman moved that the matter l>e referred to the Finance Committee for investigation and report. There were, he said, a good many aspects mf the flaxmilling load and industry that made it more difficult than appeared on the surface for the Board to grant reductions. The Committee had met I hat morning, and they found that, at the suggested rate, the reduction in the cost of stripping a ton of lihre would he about 0/8. He did not know whether that small margin was going to decide whether mills would close down or keep going. There were, however, other factories, and it would probably he found, on investigation, that the rates were as low as the Board could make theni, and that they coinr.a red favourably with other rates in the Dominion for electrical power, for flaxmills. Nevertheless the Committee might he able to see a way in which something could be done to assist these people. There were difficulties, and the Committee would like to investigate them before a report was made to the Board. Mr. Barber seconded the motion. Mr. Seifert thought lie could say that the Committee had decided to get information as to whether the Board was charging too much to the flaxmills. As an old miller he would like to see a reduction given if possible, hut he did not want the Board to lose money. The Committee would like the Engineer, on Ins return from leave, to go into [lie matter. The applicant had suggested a 24,000-unit minimum; last quarter he was charged for 18,000 units; so if he had been given the reduction suggested it would have i-ome out exactly the same. The motion was carried.