ELECTRIC POWER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1930, Page 7

ELECTRIC POWER

LAST YEAR’S OPERATIONS. REVIEW BY MINISTER. WELLINGTON, July 18. at wie Government hydro-electric starit ‘ u , . tkjriij; m the Dominions have an output off nearly 500, million units a year, feoyjepty-five per cent, of the population is now supplied with light and jiaWer,. and. the Government has £9,600,000,' the supply authorities £lB,-000-000, i and consumers £8,500,000 invested, in the industry. ' These facts were quoted by the Minister of. Public Works, Hon.. W. B. Taverner, in opening the annual conference of the Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association of New Zpejand yesterday. if The Minister said that the industry ijas developed at a rate which had p«js all other public utilities in the 4ade, He pelieved that the supply Of:"cheaper ■■ electrical power in the Ojities would go far to stimulate industries, and would help to do away Unemployment. He had been associate*! with the Waipori scheme at Dunedin and hoped that the exper-ience-;he had so gained would be of Sjßryich •to the country' 'and the as-" sociation., C .Thp j department and the supply nuhprities. in mast cases were pnrtners in the business of making power available: to the public, and an inter-change-ctf ideas ;wns thus desirable, the:Dovernipent schemes up to the end of the year had been fairly successful.' evenf though large Increases had been made in the total capital in operation. PROFITS FROM SCHEMES. Lalfe Coleridge, continued the Min-ister,-upon which £1,1522,199 had been spppi,"-returned a revenue of £200,[X)D. :wl*j(le the operating expenses If ere >#86,864, • leaving a balance of ;This had been used to pay interest’/.: depreciation, and sinking fundy *ai)d ~hqd enabled, a reserve fund ofi to be established. The Jyiqngjihoa and : Waikaremoana station* had . been operating in parallel .during the year, and were now considered as one. The capital expended on those two schemes had been £8,426,563, the revenue was £259,-

568, and;-the operating expenses' £61,380, Heaving a balance of £198,288. sufficient, fo pay. interest charges of,. £191,288 . and , £7OOO toward depreciation. - The 'l Arnpuni station had 1 of the year as thh>:mAfchihes vrere-; completed. The ihyolved ' in ! y the Horahora-, Arapurii i’schemes had been £3,300,911, thia' i '.reyenue £26,683, arid the. aperatingfexpenses £62,702; leaving a balance £102,081; 'This had .been used. t 6; and ' ,£60,127 toward depreciation. ; f / f

It was__the Government’s intention to keep its customers supplied as fains U'as possible, and be hoped the supply authorities would assist- by keeping loads within limits. It would be his duty to see that the Government was not stampeded into reducing charges below a paying basis. Mr Taverner asked the members oC the association to regard him as their servant;, and assured tl.em that any representations made to ms uepaitment would receive careful and «,yni- , pathetic consideration.