“DISCOUNT DAYS”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9853, 5 November 1924, Page 6

“DISCOUNT DAYS”

ELECT I’ fC' LIGHT CONSUMERS’ COMPLAINT.

Dissatisfaction among electric light Sind power consumers i|L the. Borough in regard to the differentiation' each , jHoijt.fi of tlio folQ of the \v*i’ ' Difa Jin ° t"Cii increasing of 'late, and at the Council’s request the Electrical Engineer submitted a report ore various systems operating in the Dominion to the Borough Council lust evening. , • Tlio reiiort stated that the existing system was authorised to start on April 1 last in lien of the system havin'- one discount day, i. 0., <>» 11° of each month, but its effectiveness v.-as largely annulled by having to maintain two oilicos where nc-coniifcs could lie paid, instead ot all at the C’ai uarvon Street office, as was originally intended and was the guiding lact-y in recommending the piosen system. With one paying office, the present method would be ideal and bad been found quite satisfactory in about 30 per cent, of the main New Zealand towns. 'The alternative methods that were possible and open lor consideration wore as follows: L. Monthly readings, discount day of the 20tli of each month. 2. Monthly'readings, discount day on four separate dates. Two monthly readings, fine cl iscount day on the 20ih of each alternative. month. A Two monthly readings, town to h" read moijthly with discount uay on the 20th of each month and the .suburbs to bo road on altcinati, c months. 5. Two monthly readings, oO pci < cut. of all consumers to he read cadi alternative month, discount day to he on tlio 20tii of caeli month, corresponding to each part ol the town. (I. Three monthly readings, readings to he done during the first ■month, with discount day on the 20th of same month, hut no readings in the second and third months. 7 Three monthly readings, tuna ol total reading to Iw done each consecutive month, with a discount day hilling on the 20th of each corresponding month. , , - Should it bo desired, to depart from the present system there are t.rooe ot the •Severn methods outlined, anove, that are worthy of consideration, i.c.,

Nos. 1, 3. and 'O. No 1 system the ordinary month!} system-, was in operation locally lor stverM years, but was discontinued in favor of the existing continuous method of reading. H this was reverted to, it would ho necessary to employ an extra, meter-reader, as one man could not cope with the ore-sent number of consumers (i.e., 2ou0) in the time available. No. 3 system was a bi-monthly one, nil the readings being undertaken by one man, at the beginning ol the first month and at the end of the second month. All readings would he mushed by the 10th, and the Inst discount day would be oil the 2D tli ol the iiist month only, there being no discount day during tlio second month. Jlus method was in operation in 22 per cent, of the main towns.No G system, wan a three-monthly oivo, and simiL-r in every respect to the t'.vo-moutlilv n-etliod ol No. 3, with tlie exception that there are two months in which no payments would bo made, the only discount day being on tiro 20th of tiro first month and every third mouth thereafter. Of these three favored systems, the bimonthly oi.ee, No. 3, seemed to be the most attractive. . . No system was willio.ut its disadvantages, cither to the public or the council, and while all methods were open for consideration and approval, lie wished to coniine attention to the

No 3 bi-monthly one us stated above. The ad vantages attending this system were: The public was on 1 v required to pay tlioir accounts every two months. There would be one fixed discount day every second month on tiio 20tli. Consumers were more likely to pay promptly as larger accounts are involved. One meter-reader could rape with the preset,'t number of ci.'i.Pinner Is. The reader could be employed on other duties for five weeks. There would lie no rush to make out invoices and would enable the office stall to give more attention to detail. The amount of stationery would be reduced by half, as there would be only six readings and payments during the year. The disadvantages might be cited as follows—Consumers might not be certain on which month the discount day falls, but this could be partly obviated by advertising on the 19th of each alternative month. Deposits might have to be increased irom 10s to 20s minimum. Poorer people might find it a little harder to pay two-months accounts. Should this system be adopted, it would be necessary to make a limiting period for uana id accounts; at the present time consumers arc allowed two months’ grace before being out oft. With the bi-monthly system. I suggest that all-consumers would-be liable to be disconnected if their accounts were amt paid by tlio last day of the month following the discount day, that is, if the last discount day was on the SOth they would he allowed say ten days to pay the gross amount, otherwise they would he disconnected. If this was not done, they would he owing four .months’ consumption by next discount day. With the adoption of this system, the consumers would only be required to pay their accounts six times per year, and in view of this, be -suggested. tlio wisdom of considering tlio advisability of Slaving all accounts pr.-id at the Carnarvon Street office, thereby saving the necessity of a rented -office ill.

town, or of stationing ,a man at tlio Town Clerk’s office, by paying at the Carnarvon Street- office only, an up-to-date system of handling rash and accounts could he inaugurated. Regarding meter-readers collecting

money on their l-onr.ds, lie was not in favor* of this as a general practice, "hot, in order to accommodate those ■persons living in certain areas itwould he possible to receive a limited number of payments at the door and the area to be confined to Te Hapara, beyond Lytton Road, Victoria Township and the r.ew.ly merged areas of Kaiti.

The most advantageous time for making any change that might he desired. would b? in the case of the bi-

monthly svstom, on the Ist day of B-e

•comber. The several discount days for tlie vonr would then he the 23th day of the months of December, February, April, June, August, and October.

PRESENT SYSTEM TO BE MAINTAINED. SEPARATE' DISCOUNT DAYS FOR EACH DISTRICT. PROPOSED NEW OFFICE IN TOWN. At the meeting Inst night- there were present: The Mayor (Mr. O. Wildish), and Councillors H. H. Dtv Costa, F. Crav. F. Collin, 0. E. Bickford D >AY. Coleman, T. Corson and T. Todd. Prior to coininer.eing the business, Cr. Collin inquired it the report was adopted that evening would any dis--cu-sion be allowed next meeting, when -Or. Hill was present r-ml wanted iniV;rm?ttion. He did rot v.i-nt to waste •time talking about the question. The Mayor said that he did net •want to quash discussion, but if the report was adopted that evening he would inov" to confirm it at the next meeting. Ho would also inform Cr. Hill tlmt the nieeti.-;r was open and ho she'd 1 have been present. Cr. Todd grid that it u ar-o:v the ■f.r.it’e footing as- any other meeting jtnd Cr. III!', won,ld not know itv.ethcr

the minutes were correct or not, and therefore could not speak to them. (Jr. Hill put in a belated appearan co.

'PI,,; Mayor explained that-, owing to the differentation which ensued in the dates each month, much inconvenience was caused to consumers. U v/as the general opinion that the discount day should be on a fixed date 1 <l (jr. DeCostiv c-ohlrndt-d that the ] Carl.won Street office was too Lu j for people to go. 'l'he Engineer said that 50 per cent, of the accounts were paid at that office. , . (V. DeCosta: Yes, too people live up that end. , ~ , •C - Hill- We can educate them to <>» there. ’ If the people know they have to go there; they will pay there. Or. Cldc-man- thought that the Council should “open oiiL to some extent and take an office in- town, muffin" it -a showroom and office to pay accounts. He thought it was unreasonable that Carnarvon .Street should he the “pay-in” office. . . Cr. Todd expressed the. opinion that, when* the Power Board provided cheap power, that an office should be taken in town. As it was, it was impossible to make a showroom at present as electrical appliances were not in demand owing to the nigh price oi current ar.d power. , Cr. Collin contended it was time that the Council moved in the direction of providing a central office in town. The Electrical Department was a paying proposition and it vvas up to the Council to make a belter snow--111 Cr. Bickford said be was favorable to the establishment of a central miicc for payment of accounts in conjunction with a showroom. There was hardly a town in the Dominion that did not have an office in the main thoroughfares, and did not sell appli-

ances. , , , , The Haver said that lie wanted “i fix definite .dates for the town and suburbs. Ho pointed out that the Con mi I could scarcely have a showroom In town unless they sold electrical appliances, and apart from that there was a minute oil the books to the effect that the. Council could not compete with private firms in dealing in electrical requisites. The Council should he careful not to increase the deposits paid bv consumers. Members: The resolution is years Continuing, the Mayor said that lie thought that some alteration in the system:- of discount days was neces-

sary. . Cr. Corson proposed, and Cr. I odd seconded : “That No. 5 system, providing for two monthly readings, nO per cent, of all consumers to he- read each alternative month, discount day to be on the 20th of cac-li month, should he adopted.” Cr. Corson said lie was opposed to the proposal to have a showroom in town, a*s he said there was not the demand for electrical appliances at present, ar.-d the Council was not in a position to pay for its upkeep. Cr. DeCosta proposed as an amendment : “That the present system should be retained, with a stated date for each of the four districts, and that an extra- clerk should be appointed, conditional upon an- office being acquired in town.” Cr. Collin said that it was tlio people who gave credit that went to the wall. The most profitable business today was “cash.’ 1 Tlio ordinary man could not afford to run a monthly account let alone a two-monthly account.

The motion was withdrawn and the amendment was carried unanimously. The recommendations of the .Engineer in regard to meter readers collecting at the door, were adopted.