Opening the conference, he said: "1 want to thank you for the way you have presented the problem to the public since the last. Interview of March 17, It had a great deal of beneficial effect." After stating that the committee appointed by the Counei} had submitted their report on April 10, after working day and hight, he continued: " ""Thele report exhaustive and a precisive one on the question of allocation of elec: wieldy. We ourselves eowtld not have written a better report. "Ax it will Widely' affect industries here, it ill be necessary for the Council to give the most careful consideration Drastic measures might result lit a employment and placing as it does drastic curd on the it deserves to be yone into thorough lye" Inthe meantime, he raid, the slocks of coal held by' the company had dwindled considerably. month, and it devolved upon the com: pany to taken interim measure pend= fig the final decision of the Couneit warding the, outcome of the recom mendations of the special committee. The imposition of a charge three times above the average on certain large consimers, he sol, did not materially reduce consumption, Owing to the urgency oF tion, he continued, permission sought and obtained from the move the excess charge to six Nimes the normal rate instead of three. A notice hax been sent t0 the eonstimers concerned informing. them recordingly, he said. Me went on to say that fielories whose total finished Ost Of production would not be mule ceted by. power consumption would have un' advantage over factories whose (oral finished cost of produc: tion would not be much affected by power consumption would have an vantage over factories whose usage electricity forms a major part of the total cost of their finished goods, ion or rationing of elec: ticity proposed by the committe, ted, would "unquestionably strict the usage and could be called tie method of control, but tailed drastic measures which might cotise serious concern to labour" and the local economic situation, Neon Light Signs ned regarding the use of bby neon signs, he said that the committee had taken the stand that no one should be barred from the use of electricity irrespective of unde or industry. Neon signs, he thought, also represent an outlay of capital, an investment by shop ownters and there wns the people depend-
Ing on the installing and servicing of signs for livelihood who would be thrown out of employment if neon signs were not allowed. He did not think it would be fair to discriminate against, them, Speaking of the resentment which had been voiced against the minimum charges, he said that the consumers falling under this category are only 6278 of the total 85,000 consumer" of electricity or eight per ent of the total number of consumers. While the proper answer would be for them to discontinue the use of electricity. he went on to explain that the minimum charge was $1.75 which would mean. that every consumer should use at least a 40 Kilowatt Tamp, three hours each night. The minimum charge, he further explain ed, also covered the company's out~ Of-pocket expenses such as the cost of wiring, meter, labour, mainten-ange and finally collection.
He added that the company had no way 10. restrict the use of elec {ieity consumed. and intimated that it had no legal power to curb consumption although they were vitally concerned with the coal shortage which after all still was primarily a question of shipping.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.