HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2937, 17 September 1925, Page 2

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETNIG. The September meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board was held in Levin on Tuesday. The chairman Mr. G. A. Monk, presided, and there were also present Messrs A. A. Brown, Wv E. Barber, C. Kilsby, A. Mackay, W. H. Gunnig ,and D. W. Malhe.son. CORRESPODENCE. From the P. and T. Department in regard to electric lighting of public' call offices, on in Levin and another at Foxton. A 20-watt lamp will lie required for each and il was further stated that a flat- rate of £2 per annum, the currents to be supplied direct off the lighting mains without a meter, was charged for a similar service in Palmerston North and Wanganui. The Board’s secretary had already acquiesced in the charge of £2 per annum per la inn, his action being endorsed by the Board.

The Government Life. Insurance Department wrote in connection with the proposed application for a further loan of £15,000, when the Depart incut's Board ol Investment is prepared to entertain subject to ihi' money being taken np at a lime or times, suitable to the Department and the sufficiency and legality of the security and to the whole matter being arranged to the satisfaction of the Department, at dm Board’s expense. The loan will lie on a (! per cent, basis repayable by half-yearly instalments over a period of 301 years. At the present mome#! the Department could not definitely state when the money v.ill he available, but it was expected to know with more certainty in about a month’s time. —The secretary reported having made •application and liis action was endorsed.

A Wellington firm of financial brokers, enquired whether the Board required, or were likely to i ('quire, any loans. They could

raise local body loans to any extent at 5.y per cent, for 301 years, -eciired by special rale with a sinking fund of one per cent. The principal sum may lie advanced at par i New Zealand, interest payable and principal repayable in London free of exchange to the lenders, brokerage at one per cent. - -Tlit* chairman said the charges In ought- the price up to more than lhe Board could obtain the money for elsewhere. REPLACING LAMPS. M l . Mackay brought up the matter of i('placing street lamps at the southern end of the district. Two of these had been out for some time ami the Power Board inspector had to come from Otaki to replace them. He understood that arrangements had been made with a County Council employee to do this work and other small repairs. - Evidently this had not been done. The chairman said it seemed that owing to some misunderstanding the instructions had not been given, and it would also be necessary to provide supplies. This would be done and would be more satisfactory than just paying a man to report failures of lamps.

DAIRY COMPANIES PEAK LOAD.

The ivuku Dairy Co. wrote stating it was the opinion of dairy factory managers in the Horowheuuu Power Board’s area that Dairy Companies were not getting a square deal in the matter of power charges. They stated the main fault appeared to arise in the slack months through the system of reading- the maximum demand indicator quarterly. For instance, after reading . (lie meter on 3.lst March tin* next period reads from lsl April (ill 30th dune, and while tin* peak load occurs on the Ist April it is reduced to about onelldrd by the end of (he month; while in May ami dime the load ,was sometimes less limn one-third of tlie maximum, therefore (.lie companies derived no benefit during May and dune. During the following period (Ist duly to 30th September) in duly and August the factories run on about one-third of the peak load showing at the end of September, which, under the present system they had to pay for over the three months. This meant thnl limy were paying during (lie four slack months, for as much power as they did in the “llusli” period. They suggested that the meters and maximum demand indicators should be read monthly to ensure a fairer basis of charge, and even up the cost of running on eleclDeity compared with steam. The chairman said the Board’s charges were Jixed on the same quarterly basis [hat the Public Works Department charged the Board. The Board had to pay quarterly on the peak load. It depended on what diversity of load the Board could ablaiu in its disIriel whether any relief could be given. They did sot want to exploit the dairy companies, and the mailer would need to he gone into very carefully, lie suggested that a small committee of himself, the Engineer and secretary be set up to go info the matter with the Ivuku Dairy Company and lie supposed whatever was decided in regard to them would apply to all other dairy companies. He moved to set up the committee.

Mr. Barber said that, as a director of the Shannon Dairy Company, he knew that they had similar views to the Kuku Company. He seconded ihe motion. The chairman pointed out that if the dairy companies created a peak load in April, the Board would have lo pay the Public Works for it throughout the quarter. He wondered whether anything could be

done within the factory to avoid a. peak in April and September. That was a matter for consideration and the conimitteee would go into it with the companies and reports to the Council. The motion was carried. TREASURERS REPORT. The Treasurer Reported:— Since the last meeting of the Boai'd accounts for installations and service lines have been paid for to the extent of £1520. Receipts for electricity, meter rent, and for motors, ranges, etc., £1205. Since last, meeting receipts of Loan Account had iiecn as follows. Installations £4944, service lines £ll3. With amounts received previously the totals were: Installations £0351, service lines £557. In the Power Fund Account, the receipts since last meeting were: Electricity £1025, meter rents £52, motors, ranges, etc., £127. With amounts previously received these made totals of Electricity £7145, meter rents £250, motors, ranges, etc., £1207; grand total of receipts £15,518. ACCOUNTS. The accounts presented for continuation totalled £1,903 13s lid. The principal items making up this amount were: Whiges £914 18s 9d, wiring group contractors £540 13s, salaries £2OO 3s 4d. The accounts presented on the pay roll amount Lo £2,001 18s. Of this amount £1,014 is for hare and T.B. copper wire, benzine and oil account for £21.5, wiring groups for £484, the balance being made up of accounts for copper cylinders, insulators, timber, poles and rails, motors, ranges, meters and many sundry accounts.