CLEARING THE AIR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 92, 18 December 1913, Page 3

CLEARING THE AIR.

COUNTY’S ELECTRICITY

THE ATTITUtJfe OF THE BOROUGH

The proposed agreement between the County Council and the Electrical Supply Corfipariy Fer tile supply of electrical current in the County was further discussed at the County meeting yesterday, when the Mayor (Mr W. lb Kirkwood) and Cr. Richards waited on the Council in order to let the County Councillors' know whatMhe feelings ol the Borough Council were in the matter. i '• ; •

Air Kirkwood said the deputation desired to Uieet 'the Council -so that there might he a better- understanding between the two Councils regarding the issue of the license to the Company. Both Councils 1 had hdld aloof from each other, and ..'each had passed resolutions -on the mattele. Theißorougb Council derfired to have! aM better. understanding, and the deputation proposed today before the County Council the effect the licepse would have on the Borough. The Borough had never been against the issue of a license for the supply of current in the County. In that matter the Borough recognised that, the County was-the only ,body to deal 'with the matter of the supply of light in its own .boundaries, and that the Borough could not interfere at all. The County Council at its last meeting passed a resolution urging the issue of the license, ..but if that license, were issued it would . mean that tin Company would be empowered to sup ply Might to the Borough for 42 years. The present opinion of tire Borougi, Council was that when the Company’k concession fell in the Borough should generate its own electricity; In matters affecting the Cbinpafiy 1 w'hicjj came before the Borough Council there wqre engendered, he lirks'sorry 'to say, very unpleasant feeling's and aciiipoi: ions deljat.es; but he,,himself 'hoped, •and. Ids Council hoped that the goo;! relations existing a't present between the two Councils should' not be broken. It would be hard if the Borough’ Council’s light question wits held iq, for forty-two years, but the’ Borough Council was desirous of conserving ! tm interests of its ratepayers. ’ Cr. Richards said he wished to speak chiefly on the relation of the Boroug to the license. He thought the dmpres sion had got abroad that the Boroug} opposed the issue of .a (license for th supply of current in the County. The Borough had not in any way endeavoured to prevent the issue of the license so far as thd County was concerned. This was borne out Uy the following resolution passed.by the Bor ough Council: “That the Council place: on record that it has not in any way en deavoured ; to prevent ‘tin 1 ’ issue ,of L license for the Electrical 1 Supply Co hr pany to ; operate withirt the, Htratfo:/ County, and that a deputation Consist 1 ing of His Worship the MayoV 'rind tin ' mover wait,on .the Comity Council .f dipeuss flie question lin'd 'report^MC next meeting.’’ the’Cbtii)*' fy, Council were au’aye iftat'a 1 Borqfiga; depiltatie n had waited ■dh *thb i M , ihfsit<’' for Pub! c Works in rffifetehcE Mb the issue of i to 'ijoliev? j;yjiu when he, sitjict fh,at ho,, one word Imtjplieen said t;y ; Issue of a’.jiiqffise foj-,;the, kubpiy qbj lM|it in the- County/ The clepit tatlon told,Mr Eraser that they would offer no opinion on the question o' whether pr,ssjtp should be is suffer A lia did not desire to meddle with winr was wholly ,tfijC,,County’s concern. Hi mentioned these tfiings ,J.!iH'Ultse. he be lieved thar§,lyad hypum ( ,m^yu^lf.)icstyri,b, iAg betw( btjimiany s bug'll fell in in 1919, <lesiro that tho: agi‘coitieni should bej violated, which would he the I if tim-’ihboposed •iGownfey flie'ensm wasfegrai|ted-'.'i' :The llormiglt .Golmcih would take nth act ion agathsfct’he issue: qf, the skpplyduf Icurtbn. 1 ihSltfie Cbuhi'i. • : i.vi.M •» K ■

\6r'.'iClniistoffi'l said he could not set' Borough Council; was ' con corned in the' matter at’'ail. 1 .Alio they had done wan to giro;'the company poweijj* to ran lines through the Coin* by. y- > 1 ■ ■ Mr Kii'kwodcl: The’ lieetts'e-.asi pro oo,sod covers both tlie Borough and the County, j -nfidAt this point The following lettei from-the Hon. W. Fraser to the Conn „y Council was read—“jO| further.-reply to your letter pi 2Sth ult., -stating that your Counci, has vjp objection to the granting of : license to the Stratford Electrical Sup pi- Co. ; 1 beg to inform you that the opsition of the matter ,is that the Company is asking for a license to en* ,xb!e to,supply electrical energy not only 'in the County of Stratford, but also ip the Borough of Stratford. Ttu Corough aiithorities do not, however see tfheir why .to support the application pf the Company, and, in fact, strongly oppose it. Under .these''circumstances the Government tides mu at present see its way to Comply with the Company’s application, Imt'Af tin Company will restrict ■ iW application to the supply of i eleetridtyj Ujn tin County tno question,,of- .issuing a lieehse applicable to the Ckiujfty, only will be-favorably considbuedCJi - —, Mr Kirkwood said the .letter explained the position thoroughly., Or. Walter,,said the delegates from the Borough had stated their ,views clearly. Personally, he thought it was a very difficult question indeed—so many Things hinged on it. He thought tlm County Council should tdjck to the resolution passed at Cist.meeting, The Borough had brought forward no pro posals in any-shape or form. There was no 'use the Company catering for the County unless the Borough was included. If tile Company ceased oper ations the County had to consider what 'was likely to happen to.,their ratepayers. In The iiTst place an -Act was passed to whicli there were three par* -tie's—tlfe Company, the Boroiiglr and the County. Just after the. passing of the Act the Borough made an agreement with' the Company which was detrimental to the County, The Conn ty was hot consulted about That agree* and it seemed too-niueK for the Borough to come along fifteen years afterwards and ask the Cminty to show consideration 1 to'wards that agreement. The agreement was still detrimental to the County if he Company ceased operations in six years. Many County ratepayers’ were 1 collected with the Company’s 1 system and had gone to some expense. Tor wiring. The Borough had never considered these ratepayers at all. Deputations had waited on the Council asking for extension of the lines, hut if the Borough acquired ‘ the plant he was sure tliey would not make extensions. If then were two plants in the district the cosl , of production would be .so great thal there would he no,demand for. curreni * at the price which would have to In • charged. There could. be only oni ! plant to supply the Borough and tin County. . The County would chieflj

take the dav current for milking machines, etc., ami the Borough would take most of the night current. It it came to a more question of the public good the -Minister should ignore the agreement between the Comptmy and the Borough. The Connty should not change its attitude unless the Borough could give some idea of what they would do tor County ratepayers it the. Company ceased operations in six years. His personal conviction was" that Mho Minister should grant the. license for both the County and Borough. Mr Kirkwood said the license applied for was ostensibly a license to generate electricity by water power. The license was applied for under! he original Act. There was no suitable-water-power in the Borough, and the Company was getting two thirds of its power from its oil engine-. Why; therefore, could the Company not generate, its power in the Countyr The Borough's agreement with the Company covered a radius of only three miles from the ■Stratford Post Office, -and the Company had not extended the lines far beyond the Borough boundary. He certainly tlgmglit the Borough should lie left alone and that the County should make separate arrangements with the Company for the supply of current to the County. AVhen the concession fell in the County ratepayers now taking the light would be in no worse a positon. The Borough would be desrous of making the plant pay and would extend the lines wherever there was a chance of revenue being made. Cr. Richards said the agreement the Borough made with the Company was dealing with territory within Hie Borough’s boundaries. It was a matter within its own household and therefore .one to be dealt with by its own man-

agement. It might he that it would be an advantage for the County to press the proposed license < n the Borough ; but would the County press on its neighbour something its neighbour did not want in order that it might profit ?

Cr. Walter said that at present the Company, unless it had some premise of permanency of the business, would not extend its lines faiyinto the County, If the Borough took over the plant they would merely serve the cream of the County, where there was a prospect pf most business. ; The County had had to fight the Company on the question, to get them to put lines wherever there was a prospect of a reasonable supply of current being taken. Air (Kirkwood did not promise that the Borough would take over the Company’s lines, and if the Company took down the lines he very much doubted if the Borough would feel disposed to re-erect them. Making such an agreement as.the Borough had-had left the outlying districts in a prearious. position, and if the Borough

ook over the plant they would be in i 'still more precarious position. The County did not ask for the license—tlie Company;Jiad asked ‘for icy ‘But the Company and< the; Borough ‘had' shut deputations to the Minister 1 arid it remained foj; .Http -to> decade what , ahouTd be done. The Minister would rave fo •TS ho less than liny Bovupgh, ratepayr .'Hi. ‘All statesmen - -nvere * endfettebrmg o make life in the country more atfCftjCj'tiye, and the oxtonstofl 4 of ' the 1 tight.,would tendlfidHMMie .more attractive in Stratford--County. (■: (pi-,. Sirkith said, that, ,-iVst ,resolution on ;jhe mptfey,was,passed ae .had no desire to do wrong to the Borough; and he believed now that the Borough,Jiad no desire to do wrong to „die County. ■ ■'

Or. Hathaway: I am afraid, in spite if anything you may say, that you are ndcayoring to boycott the County, j. Or. ; llicluri l , fls,:,,,No, ; -Jsixi rJ h i .v,;Ohv^lßrth;\>Yijy l^iji> d theiteowpre many ■plounty 'rate I pijLyerg askfng t for’the .light' find there, be jlrwre- applicationstill. He' kpxpv ‘of several -peoplel who wanted tej rtfftvtheir milking machines' !->y hleotyicity,,,, The.-ißovp4igh lived -on The ■■\yt»ttlth., ( of* t|re, OouSty.i i, If. 1 the" ’ BdrwVgh were wiped out (he had no ■’wish■•'that jO'Aduld be) he believed that the’Cbipity'would, go on as usual, ; merely remarking that it was a case-of a funeral’ for the Borough. But if the County were wiped out he was sure • die shutters; would go up on 9-tenths of the business premises in Stratford. 1 he way things moved along, six years 'a as a long time to wait for light. Many things could happen in six.years. Six years ago flying machines were not common, though they were not too ommon in Stratford yet. . The wood apply of the district was giving out md the dairy factories should have the opportunity of using electricity. The terms offered to the County by the Company were so favorable that they could hardly expect tq get better. It was all very well for the Borough to say that they were not going against the County, but they were. All the Borough was doing was to boycott the County for six years in the matter of iight. The whole prosperity of the Borough depended on the prosperity of the County, and he thought the Borough, in the attitude it had adopted, was standing in its own light. Mr Kirkwood said the Borough was anxious that the County should have a lighting system. The teno:r of the remarks of County Conncilterc seemed to be in the direction of .suggesting; that if they did not get light from ; ciie Electrical Supply Company they would get uone at all. If the County got its license it would render nugatory the Borough’s agx - eement. Or, Walter said a separate plant ixx tire .County would not he a success—the County population was too sparse. After further informal discussion the matter, was dropped, the Council passing no resolution roxrdh© matter.