Compiled by Cameron McCullough
Strong dissatisfaction exists in both Mornington Shire and Frankston and Hastings Shire in regard to the charges made by the Electricity Commission for the supply of current in bulk to the municipalities.
Arising from this feeling a deputation from the councils on Tuesday last conferred with the chief engineer of the Electricity Commission (Mr. Harper).
Their chief request was that the maximum demand charges for electricity should be more equitably levied.
Frankston and Hastings Shire was represented by Crs. Wells, Bradbury, McCulloch, and Mr. Ham (Shire Secretary), and Mr. D. J. Quartermain (electricity manager).
Cr. Barrett, of Mornington Shire, said that through the registration of the maximum demand being made in the heaviest month in the quarter the Council suffered considerably.
The registration was made in January, when all the seaside houses were fully occupied; again in Easter month, also in the month when the other school vacation was on.
In other months the big percentage of the houses were closed, with the result that the Council was being charged for power it did not use.
The Commission supplied a cool store within the Shire at a cheaper rate than it charged the Shire.
Cr. McArthur pointed out a remarkable anomaly. When the Shire had 91 consumers the electric lighting account showed a credit. With 400 consumers being served there was a debit.
There was something wrong with such a system. He said the Commission had made a promise that immediately a supply was given from Morwell there would be a reduction, but the promise had not been redeemed.
Mr. Harper: I will look up the records and see what the promise was.
The case for Frankston and Hastings, as put forward by Cr. Bradbury, who said that the Council was paying a maximum demand charge of £1/17/6, while in Chelsea, which was served by the Melbourne Electric Supply Co., the maximum demand charge was only 10/10. Chelsea only paid 1½d; per unit, as against 1.29d. paid by Frankston and Hastings.
What the Council could not understand was how it could make the undertaking pay with a few consumers, and yet be losing when the consumers numbered many hundreds.
Mr. Harper said it was difficult to understand, unless the price had been altered.
He was assured by the deputation that the retail price had remained the same. Cr. Wells (Frankston) said it looked as if the Council would have to pay the same price no matter how its consumers increased, and there were some residents who were contemplating going back to gas.
It was also asked by the deputation how the commission could offer to supply the Flinders base, which was further out, at a price lower than that charged the Council.
Mr. Harper replied that the Base would require energy on a large scale, and if the Base linked up it would open up the district for electricity, and the Councils would immediately receive the benefit. He admitted there was little margin in the proposition made for the Base, but it had been considered in the light of opening up the Mornington Peninsula.
Cr. McCulloch (Frankston) quoted four sand pits, where it had been found necessary to put in petrol plants owing to the electricity cost being too heavy.
Frankston, he said, had doubled its supply in two years, but if they could not keep the charges down they would be unable to further increase consumption.
Though the maximum demand went down to 80 in the slack periods of the year, the Council had to pay on the 100 maximum demand.
Mr. Harper: The Commission is adopting a new practice, whereby the meter will be reset every three months, and the Council will pay on the maximum recorded in any of the months.
When one member of the deputation said the Council had been promised consideration, but had received nothing, Mr. Nichol, of the Commission staff, said the cost of a number of things had gone up in the meantime.
This brought the retort from the deputation that the Melbourne Electric Supply Co. had charged Chelsea the one price for the last ten years, and was renewing the contract at the old rate.
When Mr. Harper said the Melbourne Electric Supply Co. would probably go over to the Commission within the next five years, one of the deputation replied it would be luck for Chelsea.
Dealing with the requests, Mr. Harper said the position confronting the deputation as regards weekend and holiday houses was the same at Portarlington, Queenscliff and other resorts. People who only used the light at certain periods of the year should be prepared to pay for the convenience. He did not know why Frankston wanted to reduce the lighting charge. In his opinion 10d. per unit was reasonable. In fact, 10d. per unit would be reasonable. What was wanted was to get people to use the energy for other purposes than lighting. For power it should be sold below 2d. per unit.
A Voice: We cannot reduce it below 2d. when you charge us 1.29d. per unit.
Mr. Harper then suggested the Council should adopt a two-tariff system, as the Commission had adopted at Essendon. He promised to go fully into the question, but said he could not hold out any hope of the requests being granted.
Extension of Red Hill Railway
Activity is being shown at Main Creek and Boneo East and other places throughout the area to be served by the proposed extension to Baldry’s Corner, about four-and-a- half miles further on.
The Railways Standing Committee will present their report to Parliament when the House meets in July, and residents are anxiously awaiting the report.
In the event of the line not being extended and trucking facilities for stock not provided at Red Hill, it is the intention of Sir Edward Miller and the many landowners at Rye and Boneo to co-operate in the purchase of a 10-ton motor truck which could carry 100 fat sheep and make a couple of trips each day to Newmarket.
There were some lively scenes at the Mordialloc-Aspendale junior football match at Aspendale reserve on Saturday last. Barrackers got excited and several brawls started.
Constable W. H. Quinn had some difficulty in keeping the crowd in order, and prosecutions are to be made of some of the principal disturbers.
Two middle-aged married women, Katie Judd and Rachel Mack, were persistent in their annoyance of the constable by making insulting remarks, and they faced the Chelsea Bench on Monday on a charge of offensive behaviour.
Constable Quinn said that when he was quelling a fight both women were present, and one said: “What the — are you interfering for? You police are like the detectives—all thieves.”
The other shouted: “They give things like you names—rotten bananas, I call you.”
Rachel Mack (astoundedly): O-o-o Oh!
Senior-Constable Hore (stentoriously): Silence!
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 29 May 1925