Whakatane News
ELECTRICITY CHARGES HORSE POWER RATE IS DISCUSSED BY FARMERS' UNION EXPLANATION SATISFACTORY' Speaking to a remit at the Farmers' Union meeting at Taneatua on Frb day, asking why a horse-power charge was made in the Bay of Plenty Power Board district, Mr. Grace said that they really wished for information as to why a horse-power tax was charged in this district, while he understood that in the Tauranga district, for instance, no horse-power charge was fhade. Mr. Martin explained that this charge was necessary because of the way in which the power board bought its supply from the Government. The board, he explained, had to pay for a peak load, and in order to try and keep the peak load down it was decided to make a horse-power charge. In reply to a contention by Mr. Grace that they were not advised that this horse-power tax wonld be charged, Mr. Martin said that although he originally thought this was the case himself he found out subsequently that information. had been disseminated on this subject by means of a booklet which, like the questioner, apparently he had not read. A member from Tauranga quoted figures to show that the Bay of Plenty Power Board charges were quite as g'ood as the charges for the Tauranga district. Mr. Martin said he had gone very thoroughly into the matter with the board's engineer-manager, who was a most conscientious individual, and he (Mr. Martin) was satisfied that the present system of charging was much the best from the suppliers' point of view. Mr. Robinson said that if there was any sanity in the affair he considered . that power could be obtained j very very cheaply by harnessing the j tides, ete., but under the present j system many districts where they were really hard up the farmers were going back to ti-tree and candles. Mr. Dunlop pointed out that the power board had originally encouragecl the nse of bigger motors than were necessary. Mr. Martin replying held that in many instances it had been necessary to use more powerful motors than in others, as in some instances the milking machines were old fashioned and required bigger motors for safety's sake. Mr. Grace withdrew his remit following the explanation.
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Bibliographic details
Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 April 1933, Page 7
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376Whakatane News Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 April 1933, Page 7
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