ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 30, 8 October 1920, Page 9

ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

JUN SPEAKING BY THE TOWN COUNGIL. ■ URTHER AMEHDMEHTS TO THE BILL. K OGAL BODIES NOT CONS0LTED. /here is the Power Behind the Throne ?

t tk.e last meeting of the Invercargill n Councii. Cr. Lillicrap drew the aton ef the Councii to the provisions of Amending Bill to the Electric Power d's Act. . Lillicrap said that he had perused Bill, and found much in it ior the cil to disapprove of. When the Cor-i-ion was asked to join in the scheme supplying electricity for Southland, understanding was that the position d be the same as that which the itable Aid Board occupied so far as ig revenue by the Board was coriid. The C.A. Board prepared its tates and found what each local body i have to pay, and sent in a stateaccordingly when the local authority a rate to raise the money. That was isfactcnry way of doing the business, iince the Corporation's decision to ort the scheme an alteration had made in the Act of 1919, that was so satisfactory as the system that found favour with the Councii. This not been so bad, 'but the latest Bill tavned a clause empow.ering electric rds Ito Yevy a rate on constitutent disits, or to allow the controlling authorS in the various aTeas to do it, paying m two and a-half per cent. for the 'ice. It was only reasonable to ex- . that before such an alteration was Dosed the bodies interested ghculd be iulted, but no such course bad been n in this instance. Then there was provision in the Act for the payment membei's of power boards for their ndance at meetings. When a body e into existence with such a flourish trumpets and with, as it was said, object of promoting the interests of district, they should have been the to bring forward such a proposal. ' members of other local bodies could i every reason also ask for payment their services.' One of the grand ares of the administration of the af3 oLgounties and other areas was that !e who attended to such matters gave r services free to their country, but members of this Board, which they was going to confer so much benefit southland were to be paid hesides reing out-of-pocket expenses. However, as now law, but he thought the Power rd, the only local body in existence 1 for their aervices. Then again the irman's salary was to be £200 per ium, but according to the Bill the may fix it from tim6 to time It never intended that the chairman be a permanent official of the He moved that the copy of the be referred to the committee with er to act. ■conded hy Cr. Martin. • Blake : It is very gratifying to hear Billjcrap's analysis of the provisiois he Bill and the candour of fha recs _ 's worthy of appreciation. The 'ties of the Board are giving the >ayers a considerable amount of onand it would be interesting to know many of the provisions of the AmendBill originated in the local office. The the thing has been done is tatamount • betrayal of the ratepayeil. This le »ectond time the Act has been ided, and it seem3 easier to amend it for a debating society to alter its • As an example — it was recently led that the chairman go abroad to

purchase machinery. The Auditor-General stated that if the chairman went Home, then he and the members would be held responsible. In other words, Section 34 of the Act was not capable of such a wide interpretation. The chairman 's visit was put off until an amending bill was through which gave a wider interpretation to Section 34. This extension is provided for in the new bill and it is scandalous that the act should be so easily amended. As far as expenses are concerned, the members receive a guinea a day and expenses. The ratepayers had understood that the scheme would cost about a million and a half, but it would seem that it was going to cost a great deal more. The engineers hav,e stated that turbines which were estimated at £300,000 are now going to cost between £600,000 and£700,000. The confidence of the ratepayers has been completely shaken by the Board's methods of administration. There was too much secrecy about the conducting of the Board's affairs. As soon as anything of importance came up the Board went into committee. There was the censorship of the Press. I could talk to the Councii, sir, for half an hour about the methods of the Power Board which it is impossible to approve of. Cr Carswell said that possibly if the Bill had come before them in its present form the Councii would not have given their approval to the scheme. Such rating powers given to the Board must cause the ratepayers some alarm, while there was the other point referred to before — the payment of members. . A highly praised feature of the administration of local affairs had' always been the neadiness with which public-spirited me,n offered their serviceS and there was no reason why members of the Power Board should not also give. gratuitous service. If it was right they should be paid so should"' others receive similar consideration, but he was sure members of other local bodies were quite satisfied with things as they were. Cr. Mackrell : I have thought a great deal about this matter, and I considered giving notice of motion with a view to getting more information. It seems as if the Power Board had gone to the ratepayers with certain proposals and had afterwards approached Parliament to have the Act amended over the heads of the ratepayers. There is reason for grave apprehension at the present time. Finance did not seem right. It was first considered that £800,000 would meet the requirements, then the amount was raised to £1,000,000 and now it was getting to £2,000,000. The . committee should give it every consideration and I will support its being referred to the committee with power to act. The motion was carried unanimously. THE AMENDMEiM' BILL. PROVISION FOR RATING. The Electric Power Boards Amendment Bill introduced yesterday consists : very largely of machinery amendments j to the Act of 1918. Such points as the , definition of the term ratepayer Ior ihe purposes of the measures and the formal description ©f a hydro-electric power board as a local authority within the meaning of other Acts are covered. The powers of levying rates invested in

power boards are dealt with to a certain degree. The procedure ig set down as being by resolution. When such a rate has been levied it is for the board to determine whether it shall itself collect the money (for which purpose it may pay away not more' than 2-- per cent. of the proceeds to cover expenses) or whether the local authorities of the districts comprised within, the board's territory shall collect it. In the latter case, if the local authopty fails to take the necessary » steps to collect the money the amount shall ■ constitute a debt payable to the board, which may take action to recover the money. By the principal act, when the board decided to construCt or purchase works for the generation of power it was necessary to supply to the Public Works Department full details of the scheme it was intended to launch before the empowering Order-in-Council was issued. These provisions are preserved, and it is stated that ho such work shall be commeneed "except with the authority of the Gov-ernor-Genergl in Councii and pursuant to such condition as may be prescribed in that behalf by the Governor-General m Councii." An Order-in-Council may also authorise the purchase by a power board of any electric works within its district owned by a local authority. Power to make bylaws in the same way as any other local authorities for the use and management of its works, for the protection of people from injury, and for the protection of its property is to be given to the boards. The maximum penalty for breaches is made a fine of £50 with a further £5 per day for continuing the breaches. Finally, the cost of the installation of electric equipment in public or private buildings or the r.ent payable for the use of it is made a charge upon the land for rating purposes.