PROTEST AT TRANSFER

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20269, 11 August 1937, Page 8

PROTEST AT TRANSFER

• POWER BOARD EMPLOYEE NEED FOR “TROUBLE-MAN.” PETITION FROM NGARUAWAHIA. Signed by 546 residents of Ngaruawahia and district, a petition protesting against the decision of the Central Waikato Electrio- Power Board to withdraw its trouble-man, Mr J. Crothers, from Ngaruawahia, was presented at to-day’s meeting of the j board by Messrs R. Eyre, Mayor of J Ngaruawahia, and A. Warburton. | The petition prayed that the board 1 reconsider its decision as the district • could not be officially served from j Hamilton or Huntly on account of disi tance and the fact that there was not . at Ngaruawahia a 24-hour telephone service. The withdrawal of Mr Crothers would probably result in great in--1 convenience to the commercial and farming community, as well as to I domestic consumers. Treated Like Step Children. ! “ Ngaruawahia borough may be regarded as insignificant, but it has great potentialities, and though It is quiescent at present, it is bound to go ahead in the future,” said Mr Eyre, in presenting the petition. “ Our council feel that we are being treated rather like step children, though ours was the only local body with its own power plant when linked up in the : board’s system. If the board could ■see Its way to grant the prayer of the petition, we would be most grateful.” “ There is a general feeling that we need a trouble-man of our own,” said Mr Warburton, in supporting Mr Eyre, “ principally because of the difficulty of getting in touch with Hamilton or Huntly. We have not an allnight telephone service and if we have no one on the spot it means that we have to wait until morning when trouble arises.” There was also the question of the additional cost to consumers involved in having service from Hamilton or 1 Huntly. This cost might well double the cost of repair work and when there was not a trouble - man on the spot it was impossible to have the prompt service to which consumers considered they were entitled. He understood that there were three trouble-men at Huntly, and while it was recognised that there was a higher degree of Jndustrialisation there, it was felt that Ngaruawahia was entitled to one man. j Mr S. S. Saulbrey said that there had not been a public meeting at Ngaruawahia recently at which the question j ha d not been discussed. There had ! also been several incidents recently indicating that it was essential to have a man stationed there, particularly when the lighting failed for about an hour on a recent night. A petition with lover 500 signatures should also receive the serious consideration of the board. Six Months’ Trial. In reply to the deputation, the chairman, Mr T. Hinton, appealed for the co-operation of consumers in giving the scheme decided on a trial for six months. He said he thought there } might be some unintentional exaggeration in the reports of recent trouble with the service, but if the board failed to do what they claimed they could, then the matter would come up for further consideration. He felt that there should be no difficulty in maintaining an efficient service from Hamilton to Huntly, hut he did agree that the matter of securing ,the installation of an all-night telephone at Ngaruawahia should be gone into by the en-gineer-manager. A letter was also received from the Ngaruawahia Regatta Association protesting against the removal of a trouble-man, and suggesting that it was the duty of the board to extend rather .than curtail the service to consumers.