ELECTRIC LIGHTING SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8057, 27 February 1906, Page 2

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SUPPLY.

COUNCILLOR COLLIS' CAUSTIC (JtfEHY. " WHliKE'ti TILli MONEYCOMING FliOM ?"

At Monday night's meeting of the New Plymouth 13orough Council, Cr. llrookiug, Chairman of the Electric Lighting Committee, moved the adoption of the Committee's report, which recommended, among oilier things, an expenditure of i'lM.'l 5s (id for material required by the Electrical Engineer. The list included l(KH) insulators to cost .tali, 11 tons and seven miles of wire <JC27 5s (id, 16 transformers .W7 lis (ill, SI meters £2111), I'M) poles .C'J'Jo, duty and landing charges C;ils. The mover said thai this .material was all absolutely nccessary.

Ilie Mayor, in seconling, po'nle 1 out that in order to pay for this the Council would have to issue short-dated debentures, sullicient .to pay off the amount from the loan accounts, to obviate interference with the general or district account. At present the loan account was about i;J000 overdrawn, but there would be £IOOO to come from drainage connections before the end of the year.

Cr. Collis was not satisfied, but wanted a full statement of the electric lighting account before he voted to spend £l-133, and a definite statement ol how it was intended to finance it. What had the Finance Committee to say about the matter 'i

The Mayor suggested that there was uo hurrv. The material would nol be here for seven months, and most of it could not lie landed inside of a year. Cr, Collis: it s all the same. You're only putting oil' the evil day, and you've got to pay sonic time. Some delinile scheme must be formulated before [ vote for another £llOO odd to be spent. AVe're £IOOO in debt now. The Mayor: You've been here long enough to know how to get money." lie proceeded to stale that the money could be got from the bank at 5 per cent., or more cheaply on debentures. At any rale, (he scheme was now so advanced that the Council had to p:iv for its power, wages, salaries, ami so on, and .only by adopting one of the above schemes of raising money could the Council p.iy without increased taxation. Cr. Lwiug said that the discussion was foreign to the report. The Lighting Committee could not be expected lo devise the finance. Cr. Collis moved, as an amendment, that this clause respecting supplies, lie referred to the Finance Committee,—Xo seconder, Up. Uutchcn supported, the adoption of the report, because the money had not, to be found this year. It could be provided for in the estimates, and the Council was simply wasting time no,v. Cr. Collis ; Over an expenditure of .CUOO? Cr. Hutcheu: Yes, The motion was carried on the voices, I'r. Collis dissenting.