POWER BOARD'S POWERS.

Shannon News, 29 January 1924, Page 2

POWER BOARD'S POWERS.

MAY RATE THOSE WHO DO NOT TAKE THE CURRENTDRASTIC NEW LEGISLATION EXPLAINER. An interesting discussion on the reticulation of the Horowhenun Electric Power Board area, the consumption of power by the public, and the progress of the canvass took place at the lust meeting of the Board in Levin on Monday. The discussion ■ followed the reading of the report of the Engineer, Mr T. R. Overton, on consumers' installations, as follows :

FOXTON GROUP. Motors for general power 11 Milking motors .. JJ Hot water services U Cooking ranges . * The third Group canvassing is now complete and includes the Borough of Foxton. The number of applications in this Group are-

Lighting Installations ... 130 Specifications and plans are now nearly complete and tenders will bi. invited for same almost immediately Group No. 4, commencing on the Foxton Levin road, is |no.w being lormed. ■ NEARLY 400 APPLICATIONS. The total number of applications to date is as follows :- Lighting ••••• 3 J? Milking motors ••• f General power £ Hot water services .......... -*» - cooking ranges ••• J& f Mr McKay asked the engineer if tliatotal number of applications ioi current was satisfactory. c ., ti _ f „ p - The engineer: Yes, very satisfactory particularly in Shannon Wb are geW 90 per cent. . In toxton however, xv» have got on Jo 115 in the borough. A number ou oeople hi Foxton want to see toe cur?ent in too town before they sign up so that they can see how tie nun next door is getting on with it. SEASIDE COTTAGE HATE.

Mr A. Ross remarked *hat there was a good deal of comment about the minimum charge of £3 per year for seaside cottages, which were only in use for penhaps a month in the year. He thought that the Engineer might consider if soma fairer rate could be produced. A flat rate might 'VTclfaiman, Mr G.A.Mon£ pointed out that there was already a minimum rate, which was just about the least they could do it at. It must be understood that even u the people wanted to take the current only one night in the week the Board had to. be ready to give it to hem on all seven nigjbts. It made no Sencc to the Board wither they took it on one or seven nights. The engineer: There seems to be nothing much doing down on the Foxton beach. Mr Ross: The people won't take the current at £3 a- year. RATING NON-CONSUMERS.

The chairman said it was no use the people refusing to take the current because the Board could force them to by means of a rate, under power conferred on Power Boards, by recent legislation, which th,e Southland Power Board had just got lp.ut! through "Here is the Southland Board's message to its ratepayers explaining this very well. Personally I should not care to issue suah a pamphlet. Shall 1 read it to the Board?

Members: Yes, please read it. SOUTHLAND BOARD'S MESSAGE TO THE RATEPAYERS. "The annual .expenditure can be met in two ways. By the sale ■of a comparatively small quantity of current at a high price per unit, plus the certainty of. a very high rate; or by the sale of a large quantity of current at a small, price per unit; with the possibility of a low rate. The Board, therefore, would impress upon the ratepayers the fact which must be plain to everyone, that in his own interests, apart altogether from the patriotic aspect of the success of the scheme, it is better for a ratepayer to purchase and make use of a large quantity of power at a aheap price than to purchase a small quantity at a high price, and to pay a heavy rate upon this property for which he gets nothing at all. Legislation was enacted during last session of parliament whereby, lor the purpose of increasing its income, a Power Board is authorised to levy a rate upon all rateable properties within its district and to collect such rate from the properties to which the electricity has been made available. If such rate is struck the minimum; amount that can be collected in respect of the smallest holding is £l, while in respect of the largest property the maximum is £3O, and every ratepayer upon whom such a levy is made under such new legislation will be entitled to receive without additional payment a supply of electricity at current prices equal to the amount of the levy. The Board has decided to exercise its powers under the above legislation and to strike a rate of a penny in the £1 on the unimproved value oi the rateable properties to which power will be made available \vi;thin the district already denoted. This rate will give the Board a revenue of approximately £50,000|, 'and * should, ail the ratepayers exercise their rights the Board will be called upon to supply to 'tliem freej of charge electricity to the value of £50,000. These figures apply to the Country Districts only. The towns and industries are estimated to give thei Board further revenue fojr eledtriclty to the extent of '

that this was the first they had heard of these new powers. Mr A. Seifert (Horowhenua): I think such a rate would kill all further /Power Board loans. The Cfhairiiuui: 'fhoy have got \ tiheir loans. Mr Overton seems to think that something could be done regarding the Beach houses at I'oxton. In reply to a question he stated thatt the main thing was to -build the main trunk lines from centre to centre, picking up business -along the; route. Mr Overton would have a Bang available hi about, four weeks time which could begin on the subsidiary lines. The policy was to build tihese where they were a payable propositi on. If there was a spot where there were a number ot settlers who wanted current, the Board would ibnuld a line to them if u was ,a payable proposition. If it did anything else it would soon find itseil in a mess. MILKING SHEDS LINK UP.

Mfr Ross ( asked whatt •number of milking sheds were taking the current. Mr said, that along! the route lines the canvasser was getting thein well. On the main trunk line from Levin to Foxton about 60 per cent of tin© possible number had joined" up.. They had not yet gone down the side lines. On the Shannon to Levin and Levin to Foxton routes there were. lots of side roads where five or six. consumers might be picked up. A member.- How many per mile do you require for reticulation? Mr Overton: Usually about ?.%• I Sometimes one strikes a large consumer who—if his consumption can pay the interest and sinking fund—!is a payable proposition alone. We (usually take the total cost for eight to put 'the current in the milking sheds and houses and if the consumption Avill megt the interest and sinking fund we recommend the Board to put it in. The Chairman explained that the Board could only 1 collect the rate if it made' the power available to consumers and they would not take it. There. was, however, no' danger whatever of a rate in the Hbrowhenua. The Board had gone on the principle of building the main lines first and only such lateral lines as were a payable proposition. He had heard that there were Boards who i had reticulated the whole of their districts according to the plans of their consulting and that) | one Board had pulled lines down i aaain. i M.r Seiflerit remarked: that there were 130 beach cottages at Foxton. The Chairman: They will be'a big proposition in this district with so many (beaches. Mr Seii'ert: It will be. best to canvass them now when most of them are occupied- They will perhaps be more favourable to the current then. Mr Ross said a difficulty would be that so many of the cottages were inhabited by tenants. A member: Go to the owners. The Engineer: We shall only collect from the man who signs the application. A motion was carried referring the matter of a rate for beach houses to the Engineer for a report to the next meeting. £85,000, or approximately half of the revenue required to meet the annual .expenditure. The other half must he. made up by the sale of electricity to consumers in excess of the amount -of the rate ' levied, and until such "excess" sales are sufficient to make the revenue meet the expenditure • the deficiency must be made up by a further rate. The rate of one penny" in the £1 on the unimproved value for income purposes and which the Board, as stated, has decided to levy, has the merit that every property to which power is made available will contribute a share of the needful .revenue whether or not the owner makes use of the power. DurtiYg the! discussion which, followed several members remarked