f oresby Council in Argument with Administrator

That Does 'Advisory' Man?

P. MORESBY, March 1.

N argument of words between i Administration and Port Moresby Town Advisory Council “r increased electricity charges iw up in February, when a sug ition was put to the Council that (resign in a body.

Jr. S. Fox put it in the form a motion, to be discussed by the xch meeting. The motion says, ich action seems necessary in w of the action of the Admin •ator in not passing on informa i required by members if they to continue in their function of ising the Administrator.”

'he battle started last December m the Administration raised rtricity charges in most Terri -7 centres. The new charges are mged on a basis which makes it tossible for a careful consumer save money (as he pays the lest rates for his initial number mits), but allows the big firms, ) use a lot of power, to save more i under the old rates, he Council suggested that pos -7 Port Moresby people were be asked to subsidise losses at other ;res, where the cost of providing

power was greater than the income derived from consumers. The Coun cil asked the Administration to give it facts and figures to enable it.to decide what was happening.

In January, the council received a letter from the Government Secretary, “declining to give the in formation.

The Council repeated its request, pointing out that it could not give fair criticism without the facts.

AT the February meeting, the Council received a letter from the Administrator, explaining he could not give the figures re quired. The letter restated the functions of Town Advisory Coun cils. Councils, he said, were to ad vise and assist the Administrator, and were not elected bodies repre senting citizens of the town; and they did not have the collective right to transfer their functions, even though the new power charges affected them as individuals.

After discussion, the Council adopted a motion saying that mem bers had been approached by townspeople who were asking fo~ the reasons for the increased charges; and, in the absence of information,

the Council was convinced that the charges were too high and inequit ably distributed between large and “XST’Sm said members tried to pass on the views of the public to the Administrator, but could not do this if information was withheld.

EDITORIAL note Some clarification of the position is needed - The European population is growing steadily; and Europeans are accustomed to having some voice then tricitv sunnlv If thaT is denied

sooner lateS

a , dictatorship, no matter how S Adramis^* a " ■ , ... ...

T A Fl J lan soldier on a training course m Auckland was fined £l2 f ° r obstructing a police officer in Two other Fijian soldiers received a warning from the magis trate. The men claimed that the police had discriminated against the Fijians when ordering a party of men to move on, when they left a hotel bar at closing time. The Fijian who was fined struck the policeman.