HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2584, 24 May 1923, Page 2

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

THE ANNUAL MEETING. The lirsi meeting for the year of the newly-elected Ilorowliemia Electric Power Board was hold at Levin on Tuesday. Present: Messrs G. A. Monk, (chairman), A. A. Brown, A. Ross, W. E. Barber, C. Kilsbv, A. McKay, A. Seifert, D. \Y. Mat boson, and IV. 11. Gunning. ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The Engineer, Mr T. R. Overton, reported as follows : Buildings.-—The stores, garage, and sub-station buildings are now completed with the exception of painting and cleaning up generally. On going into the matter of storing petrol it was found that the by-law ra|aired a separate building. I therefore consulted with the chairman and it was decided to instruct the builder !,, creel petrol and oil spires at a cost of i'K7. This aaauiat will he an axtra on the original lender price. In connection with these buildings 1 would like to add that Mr Standee litis handled the job expeditiously and in a very satisfactory manner. The brick residence is progressing fairly well but the contractor reports being retarded owing to his inability to secure competent bricklayers; it is expected, however, that the main brickwork will be completed by the end of this week. Contract No. 2.—The sawn timber for cross-arms, etc., is now ov-er-due and in reply to enquiries Air Porter states that a small shipment is expected in Wellington this week by the Manuka. Should this material not come to hand I would like authority to secure quantities to carry on with in the meantime, such quantities being a deduction on Ids tender. Pole Carting.-—Although the weather has md been favourable for (Ids class of work 250 poles liave been carted out in the vicinity of poxton and on the Eoxfon-Shnn-i:nn road. Immediately the Poxton dump is cleared sufficiently to receive further consignment - a star! will he made on the Shannon dump.

General. — Quantities of material have arrived during the month, same is now being taken into stock, in the new stores where an experienced storeman has been placed in charge. The temporary promises ia Oxford Greet will be abandoned by the end of this month. It will probably be found necessary to secure a onefun lorry before next meeting. T would therefore like lo have authority to purchase a Ford one-ton truck when siine is required. Referring 1 o the Board's proposed bylaws, T have had applications from electrical contracting firms for conics uf same; I am therefore of opinion that I hey should he made ready for use. The report was adopted. ADVANCES TO CONSUMERS. The Board intends to make it as easy as possible for consumers In link up and take Ihe Mangahao power, when it is turned on. In (omieelion with this matter the engineer (Mr Overton), reported as follows :

Financial a-sist ancc to applicants for electricity.—This subject has occupied ii good deni ol:‘ aUentioii in the administration of power boards during the post three veers olid 1 cannot recommend anything belter to you to-doy than 1 did two \enrs ago to the Central Power Pool'd at Hamilton. That Board’s district, which is practically all rural, appeared the hardest proposition in the South Auckland district (speaking from a financial point of view). Imt the figures for the year .just ended (.March 31), show its operations to he more successful than any other Board in the South Auckland district. The Central Board now supplies over a. thousand consumers, many of them with three different types of service installed, namely, lighting, heating and motive power and fh“ monthly figure- show increases al the rate of from fit) to O new consumers per month. A great deal of I he-success of this Board is undouhledlv due to the system which they adopted to finance consumer-', end I would recommend that grouping and financing on similar lines he Introduced here:

(!) That consumer'- cervici lines he paid for by the consumer in three ei|ua! instalments, the lir-d helve payable within one year of I lie work' being' completed and the other: within two and three years re- • pcctively of . 11 • -1 1 date witii intcr,s| at t lie rate of f'7 per cent per

(2) That linamdal a-si-lancc he eiven for the installation of electrical litlin.e- to ihe extenf of 75 per ,-enl. of (he eo-t of such installation, which shall not exceed £IOO ~or he less than Cld, interest being chargeable at « per eon!, per annum and repayable in twelve equal .Instalments over a period of three veal-', subject to a I'ehate ill inIcrest of 1 percent, for prompt payment and including a payment n| a per cent . on the cost of supervision of the installation by 1 he Board’s Engineer. Mr <«unniii” - urged the t'lnaueo Committee to also go info the mat-' jer of delaying' the payment of interest by eoiisuniers on advances until the power and light was available. This would he an inducement t„ people to have their installations ready in time for the power and would avoid delay and a rush at the last minute. It would not cost the Board very much in interest, but it would assist the consumer and on (he other hand the Board would feel the benefit of having', say 100 consumers ready to take the power when it was available. This policy

was adopted by the Palmerston Board and he strongly recommended it here.

The Chairman agreed that it would be nn inducement to people to have their installations ready.

The Engineer said Ihe interest on consumers’ service lines would not be collected for twelve months. Mr Ross urged that a new clause be added permitting advances for installations costing up to £750. 50 per cent, of this amount to lie advanced. It would be a big hurdle for many firms and mills to scrap their present plants and tinless they got assistance they might defer linking-up with loss of revenue to the Board. What was good policy for the small man, would also he good policy for the big man. The Board approved of the suggestion.

The Engineer’s recommendations were adopted.