POWER FOR STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1922, Page 7

POWER FOR STRATFORD.

REPORT TO BE OBTAINED. The works committee of the Borough Council recommended to Monday night’s meeting that the council open negotiations with the Taranaki Electric Power Board with a view to joining up with it. Cr. Cameron said Stratford was so centrally situated that he thought it would eventually become the distributing centre for the Power Board. The cost of generating current by the borough’s plant was 7d per unit, and at this price for generation they could not hope to reduce the price to the consumers. With the Public Works demand for the renovation of lines on top of other costs he could see no hope of reducing the costs for some time to come, and he thought the time had come to endeavor to secure some cheaper source of supply. With only 25 per cent of their possible maximum output sold they could not reduce the price of current. New Plymouth was charging only Id per unit for power while Stratford was charging 4d. They could not hope to compete with New Plymouth at these prices, from which New Plymouth made a good profit whilst Stratford made a loss at its higher rate. The Mayor said that directly Stratford wished to join the Power Board all that was necessary was to obtain a requisition by 25 per cent of the ratepayers to join up. It was not necessary to open negotia-

tions, because the door was wide open. Cr. Jackson said if they sat on the bank much longer they would be left stranded. He thought they should at once join the Power Board. It looked now as if they had no chance of getting power from New Plymouth. The Stratford power was a failure, and always would be. He did not care where it came from so long as they got cheap power. Cr. Ward moved as an amendment to the committee’s recommendation that the council join the Power Board and that steps be taken immediately to obtain the necessary requisition. If they left it too late they might “miss the ’bus,” even if they had not done so already. He was afraid it would be necessary to scrap nearly all the present instalments to use the new power, and this would entail a large expense. but he hoped that the council would immediately take steps to join up with the board. The Mayor said before they passed the resolution they should carefully consider everything, and he thought the electric light committee should go thoroughly into the matter before anything was done. Cr. Cameron thought Cr. Ward’s amendment was too drastic. Cr. Rutherfurd suggested that the matter be referred to a later meeting to allow more time for consideration. Cr. Ward withdrew his amendment and suggested that the electric Fght commitee go thoroughly into the matter and report on the question of joining the board, the cost of alterations to the plant, interest, etc. The council finally decided to obtain a report on the matter from the Power Board.