ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CHARGES.

Shannon News, 20 January 1928, Page 2

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION CHARGES.

CONSENT OF

NEW LEGISLATION NOT OPPOSED BY HOROWHENUA BOARD.

Opposition to Section 17 of the Power Boards Amendment Act, 1027, was expressed- in a - circular received liy the Horowhenua Electric Power Board on Tuesday from the Dannevirke Board. Section 119 of the Act of 1025 provided that the cost of installations and rent for the use of same should be a charge on the land and might be recovered as rates. This allowed Boards to advance money to cover the cost of the installation of electrical wiring and appliances, etc. ■For a period- of three years from the date of the installation, a Board had the security of the land for payment of the amount involved, which could be. recovered as a rate. The Amended Act .provides that, no money payable to the Board in the above respect, shall be a charge on the land, or recoverable •as a rate, unlesV, prior to such installation, consent iu writing to such charge is given (a) by the owner of tin- land, where it is not subject to any mortgage, or (b) by the owner and the mortgagee or, mortgagees where the land is subject to a mortgage or mortgages. In the opinion of the Dannevirkc Board, the outstanding disabilities imposed on Boards and, consumers by the new legislation'are: (1) Irritating delays to consumers with regard to installations and to the development of the Board’s reticulation; (2) unwarranted additioaal ■‘cost to consumers aud Boards; (3) possible unjustifiable exclusion of-consumers from participation in privileges of “Advances to consumers,” owing, without sufficient reason, to consent being withheld by a mortgagee; (4) prospective consumers being deprived of f benefits already extended to and enjoyed by existing consumers. It was -pointed out that Boards were given no oppor-l tunity of expressing an opinion on the’ measure before its presentation during the dying hours of the session, when its passage was apparently such as to preclude any possibility of mature consideration. It was thought that the amendment should be modified by deleting sub-clauses (a) and (b) of Section 17 and adding the words “by the owner of such land.” The chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) stated that the Board had had cases’where installations had been put on a property, and when the property was resumed by the mortgagee, possibly reverting from dairying to sheep-fann-ing, it was found that the installation was not of very great service to the new occupiers. In such cases, if the real owner had been consulted, he would no doubt have objected to the expenditure. It appeared that there was, perhaps, some justice in the legislation of last session. He, could not help thinking that in many cases people who were the nominal bwnerg of the land were committed to all sorts of things; they walked out, and the liability was left, which could not be fair to the man to whom the land belonged. The amendment was going to entail a good deal more work to the man - who was on the land, but if it was an advantage to the security the mortgagee was not going to object. From the point of view of the Power Boards, what Dannevirke was asking was the easiest way out of the difficulty. He did not know who brought the legislation forward. It was not done by the Power Boards Association; the Government' did not even inform the Boards that the legislation was coming down. The question did not now affect this Board very much one way or the other. The matter would undoubtedly come before the next conference of the supply authorities, and an opinion would then be forthcoming as to how they were affected by the legislation. No.doubt pressure would be* 1 brought to bear to try to cure the suggested alteration. He did not- think, liqwever, that many Boards had taken execution to the amendment. The chairman of the Dannevirke Board was in the House, and it was to be presumed that he had an opportunity r,o protest when the Bill was under consideration and that he did so.

In moving that tl|e circular be received, the chairman invited . any amendment that might occur to members of the Board. There was no response, and the motion, which was seconded by Mr .Seifert, was carried.