CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 505, 13 February 1920, Page 1

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

AND ELECTRICITY.

COUNTY. EXTENSION SCHEME

COUNCIL CRITICISED,

After many previous efforts on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce to have a quorum of its members to hold a meeting, the difficulty was overcome on Wednesday night, when there was a large attendance of the members. The president, Mr. R. F. Webster, presided over Messrs C. Roadley, H. Curd, W. Hurle, A. Civil, C. R. Lusher, H. Dell, FrankPerkins, M. Shaw, R. G. V. Fear, and the secretary, Mr. V. S. Roberts.

Borough Electric Light Extension. The chief object of the meetingwas to consider the Borough Council's proposal to extend the elect rie lightlng schema to districts outside of the borough. The president, Mr. Webster, in oulining the objects of the meeting, said that some time ago the Pukekohe Borough Council had set forward various loan proposals, but at the present it seemed that the council was no further ahead with the job than it was eight months ago. He added, the matter that concerned the ratepayers most was the proposal to extend the electric lighting system outside of the borough. He called on Mr. C. Roadley, who introduced the electric lighting system in Pukekohe, to propound the details of the original scheme. Mr. Roadley explained that when the electric lighting scheme was introduced in Pukekohe by himself, provision was made in the estimates for the installation of a storage battery. He would not have brought a scheme forward without such provision, but, he continued, they Jill knew that the battery was not at the power-house, and that they had to put up with the very inefficient system of the direct drive. If the battery had been installed, the present inefficient system would have been efficient. At any rate, the question of the storage battery was eliminated for the time being, and the thing dragged on and on until the commencement of the war, after which a battery could not be procured, only at a greatly enhanced figure. Another thing—the council hrd acquired other machinery with the money intended for the battery. He claimed conclusively that his initial scheme had not been carried out. In his scheme he had proven that by having a qualified electrical engineer (and provision had been made *> r one and one assistant) that there would have been a profit on the year's working to the borough of nearly £6OO. That was on a proposal to charge 8d per unit instead of 9d, as the case was at present. With reference to the present council's proposition to extend the present inefficient system throughout the whole of the Franklin Count/, Mr. Roadley contended that the council should first of all go thoroughly into the matter and ascertain if the proposal would turn out a payable proposition. The members of the chamber, as commercial business men, would consider that phase or the question if they were going in for anything elaborate in their own private businesses. Then he considered that the council should consider the spending of public money as they would if it was their own. They should ask themselves: "Is it a payable proposition?" He thought it would not be a payable proposition if the scheme was carried into effect by the class of men available, who were not commercial men who had extensive dealings in commercialism. Furthermore, when the scheme was well on its way the

council would be broken up nrd some new blood, who were not conversant with the state of affairs, would assume the reins of eontmt. and this would also be certainly detrimental. Mr. Roadley considered it would be injudicious to bring down a -scheme of- the kind. Why should the Borough Council take on a big scheme with such a big risk for the county, when it could not make its own little scheme efficient? If the scheme was going to be such a profitable undertaking as it had been suggested it would be, then a private company, should take it up, and the Borough Council could buy the electricity and dispose of it to the inhabitants of the borough. It would pay the borough to do this, as the whole of the worry and the risk would be eliminated. The borough would know exactly what electricity it required'; and could contract for such, and in the event of the required power not being forthcoming they would want to know the reason why. He reiterated his contention that it would be quite injudicious for the borough to enter into the scheme and pledge the limited number of ratepayers into such a vast scheme over the whole of the county. Since the scheme was formulated, Waiuku had gone a more judicious way about it. They, had obtained the services of ai first-class electrical engineer, had a good scheme and fruition. It would be far more profitable if the Borough Council took and bought electricity if it had to scrap the present plant. If they, as commercial men, had money to spend, most decidedly they would go to the cheapest market, and as the Borough Council had public money to expend, they should also expend it at the cheapest market, and not as they were doing under the present inefficient system. Mr. Roadley then instanced the occasions the lights went out, epecially on a Friday night, the business night, and on Sunday nights, when they were all praying.

A voice: Light, do you call it. Why, you have to take a light to find it sometimes. (Laughter.)

Continuing, the speaker contended that the management of the electric light had never been efficient, and he

on the borough. That alone would condemn the scheme. Others considered that outside districts should also bear a share of the initial cost.

Eeventually Mr. C. Roadley moved: "That this chamber-resolves that if the borough council decides to ask the ratepayers to enter into th 3 liability of laying down plant to supply electricity to surrounding' districts, this chamber can only support such scheme if placed under the management of a highly qualified electrical engineer and manager; nlso, that the council eliminate entirely its suggestion that any parties to such scheme be allowed to withdraw after once entering into it. Further, that the chamber is not in favour of an extended elecrical scheme outside the borough, other work being of far more importance. It is the wish of the chamber that the present scheme be only extended through the borough on a satisfactory working basis, the installing of: a storage battery to be one of the main items of such scheme." The motion was carried unanimously..

Drainage. Mr. Fear contended that in view of the present large amount of sickness, the chamber should suggest to the Borough Council the urgent necessity of taking up the more important subject of drainage at the earliest convenience. Mr. Perkins moved in accordance with the above, Mr. Fear seconding. The motion was carried.

Verandah at Goods-shed.

Mr. Perkins stated that when the Prime Minister was in Pukekohe, he interviewed him with the object of having a verandah erected at the goods-shed at the railway station, but although the Premier promised he would have the verandah erected immediately, so far nothing had been done. He did not know whether Mr Massey had taken any steps in the matter.

It was resolved to meet on the first Monday in every month in future.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Roadley was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for the way in which he had explained the electric lightsystem .

was forced to come to that conclusion by experience, and instanced the reading of meters, which was anything except correct. If the staff was not able to control the reading of meters, then they were not capable of doing anything else efficiently. The fact that the meters were not correctly read caused a great loss, and if there was such a loss under the small system, what would be the loss when the same officials went round the farmers and read the meters under the proposed big scheme? He was not prejudiced when he made that remark. The serious position that arose of the staff not being able to correctly read the meters was ample evidence to show that they were not efficient. Referring to the recent resolution of the council to reduce the flat rate by Is per term, he considered that that was a disgraceful thing for the council to do, considering that those who paid on a flat rate basis could use the light in every room at one time, and did not have to pay any more for it; nor did they have to pay for the hire of a meter. The method of reading the meters also came in for a fair share of the criticism, the speaker pointing out that instead of the eyes of the meter reader being in a line at right angles with the face of the meter, he stood on the floor and looked up. Could anyone show him that that was the correct method? He was greatly mistaken if they could. A peculiar thing about whole Jfcffair was that as the days grew longer and the nights shorter, and less current was consumed, the accounts. grew larger. He had experienced this, and knew that there were numerous other cases of a similar nature. The thing should be correct, and if it was not correct, somebody was going to lose, and what would be the loss on the proposed big scheme. If they were,going to allow the council to bring the scheme into vogue without a protest, it was a foolish attitude to take up. If the Borough Council was going in for a big scheme, let it get capable men and make the affair pay, or, failing this, let the council buy its power. By the latter they would have no upkeep, no worry, would know what the flat rate would be, and would be on a far better wicket than to introduce a big scheme which would be a failure, by the old council going out and new blood coming in.

Mr. Fear asked-about the Government hydraulic scheme. Mr. Roadfey said that a storage battery was quite unnecessary when the Government scheme came in. That might be, but there was no Government scheme here yet, nor would there be for the next five or six years. At all events, if the battery was installed, it would always prove a saleable article. Mr. Fear considered that in view of the large amount of sickness in and around Pukekohe, the Chamber should not consider the question of electric lighting at all, but should discuss and impress .upon the Borough Council the urgent necessity of bringing forward forwith comprehensive sanitary and drainage schemes. He emphasised the point from a public health viewpoint, and strongly urged that good sanitation was more important than electric light. The president, while agreeing with Mr. Fear, called him to a point of order, pointing out that the meeting was convened to discuss the electric lighting problem. Mr. Webster thought it was a mistake to encourage an extension of the electric light " throughout the county, and contended it was far better for the borough to go on in the small way at present and extend the system throughout the borough. He urged the need of a storage battery, so they could have light nil night, and added that when the lighting proposals were first introduced, it was at a profit. They we'o told the rates would be increased a little, and with that promise the proposals were carried, but instead tne rates had gone up. He was not in favour of the big scheme. Mr. Dell endorsed previous speakers' remarks, and considered the proposition too risky. Mr. Perkins concurred. Mr. Shaw said he at first though* th scheme a good idea, and would have made Pukekohe a good centre, but for Pukekohe Borough to take on the whole responsibility and worry placed a different light 011 the subject. It would be a good scheme if outside districts' responsibility was assessed, and they take a share of the responsibility, Pukekohe retaining its fair share of the management. When the Government scheme came, the district would be prepared for it, but on the other hand they would not derive the benefits of the hydraulic scheme. Mr. Fear: We have got to take the full share of responsibility--that was the worst feature about it. If it was gone into on businesslike lines, it would be all right, and the chamber should push it ahead, but when the whole responsibility fell on the borough, then it was no good. He agreed with Mr. Shaw. Referring to the reading of meters, he agreed with Mr. Roadley, but thought the trouble was that the voltage varied so considerably; rid this was the cause of the variation in prices.

Further lengthy discussion ensued during which Mr. Roadley pointed out that in the council's proposals, outside districts who had agreed, to come in, could withdraw at a very short notice; thus the weight of tiie responsibility would fall on the ratepayers of the borough.

Mr Shaw considered that some sort of a guarantee should be signed, agreeing to take a certain number of units, for a term of years, and failing this, to forfeit a sum of money to be fixed.

Mr. Roadley said the borough would be left with the whole of the machinery and an inefficient staff to pay. This was the most outlandish and preposterous position he had ever heard of. All responsibility and a valuable plant would be thrown