NEON SIGNS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 August 1941, Page 6

NEON SIGNS

HUNDRED PER CENT RESTRICTION

POSITION OF USERS.

OFFER OF LIMITED SERVICE REJECTED.

A large and representative meeting of users of Neon Signs throughout the Wairarapa was held in Masterton on Thursday afternoon, to receive the report of the committee which had previously been appointed to interview the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, in connection with the 100 per cent restriction on Neon Signs. In the absence of the chairman, Mr J. H. Cunningham, owing to illness. Mr J. F. Roberts was elected to the chair. Mr J. F. Roberts in outlining the. work done by the committee appointed by the meeting held on July 21, stated that a very careful investigation had been made as to the reasons for completely cutting off all Neon Signs throughout the district, and that a large amount of data had been collected. The committee, stated the chairman, fully appreciated the difficulties of the Power Board and realised that some saving in units must be made. A: meeting had therefore been arranged between the committee and four members of the board accompanied by the board's secretary, and several suggestions had been made by which other savings could be effected without enforcing one section of the com-i munity to be completely cut off from) the supply. ;

The committee although authorised by the users to accept a minimum of twelve hours per day, had suggested that users would be prepared to pay for a full twenty-four hour service and would accept only an eight hour service if absolutely necessary, thus offering to reduce the Noon load by 66 2-3 per cent, without reducing the income of the board. It was felt that this was a particularly generous offer on the part of users, and that they would still be contributing proportionately far more towards a saving in power than any other users of electricity. When the deputation met the board, they were informed that the maximum that the board could offer had been fixed at 24 hours per week, in place of 24 hours per day. The written offer of the Power Board to allow four hours from 1 to 5 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, was then read to the meeting. After a full and frank discussion it was unanimously decided that the offer be declined as it was totally inadequate. It was pointed out by several speakers that over-verandah signs were useless during the suggested hours. Greytown representatives stated that with one exception the Neon Signs in that town were mainly required during evening hours of business. Picture company representatives and garage proprietors added that the hours offered them no relief whatsoever and that from their point of view the signs were useless except on Friday even-' ings. j

It was also pointed out that the heavy rentals for. Neon Signs would still have to be paid in full to the Neon companies, but that the signs would only be in use for one seventh of the previous time. Users were not prepared to pay about two thousand pounds

jxer annum in rentals for such a poor service.

. The meeting felt that it was grossly unreasonable to allow shop window lighting to continue unrestricted and even, in fact, to be increased at the user’s discretion (which was admitted by the board to be the case), and at the same time to tell the Neon users that they could not be permitted to ,use their signs for more than one seventh of the period originally contracted for, and only then at hours specified by the board irrespective of whether such hours were of any value to users or not. This was particularly opposed owing to the fact that a Neon Sign used far less current that the average shop window lights—the actual amount used by a sign being approximately half of one unit per hour. The meeting was astounded to learn that the Power Board, whilst restricting one section of the business community, made no provision to control the remainder of the business community from consuming all the power saved by the Noon users.