HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3666, 16 July 1927, Page 4

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

TREASURER’S REPORT. The Treasurer (Mr. Goldsmith) reported as follows at this week’s meeting of the Board:— ACCOUNTS. I have to report that the quarterly account from the period ended June 30th, 1027, is £3581 Os lOd, as against £3lll 8s for. June, 1020, and £1325 for June 1025. As compared with the previous quarter, the account is not so large by £303 13s 2d, but against this saving it is noticeable that our large quarterly consumers have much smaller accounts than those of last quarter. The total amount of the accounts to confirm and pass (including the electricity account for £3581 Os lOd) is £4787 Os Gd. The principal items other than electricity, arc wages, salaries, benzine, oil, insulators, rent, timber, ranges, and telephone rentals. REVENUE. The receipts for the month from all sources amounted to £2738 17s 7d, of which sum £2280 16s 2d represents returns for electricity and meter-rents. The following table shows the receipts for the first quarter of the financial year:— To 30th May. For June. £ £ Tnlallation, fittings and service lines 1595 308 Interest on above 105 29 Consumers’ deposists • 25 4 Electricity and i meter-rents 7007 2280 Penalties 25 17 Miscellaneous and house rents 80 37 £9444 £2738 It will be noticed that to June 30th, the receipts for electricity including meter rents were £9BBB 15s. The amount received for - the same period last year was £8095 18s, which gives a satisfactory increase. The gross receipts to date, as shown in the table, are £12,183 15s lOd. INSTALLATION ACCOUNTS. During the month considerable attention has been given to the matter of some of these accounts, which have not come quite up to the mark. , TJ-ie times appear to be difficult and hard for a good many people, but the majority are doing their best to meet their obligations. Only in a few instances is it necessary to take extreme action. With the advance of the spring season, finances generally throughout the district should very considerably improve.

The chairman stated that the Board’s engineer had been able during the last quarter to reduce somewhat the Board’s payment for electricity, as compared with the previous quarter. This was brought about to some extent by the cessation of work at some of the fiaxmills. It was not expected that the Board would be able to keep the acrount down, however. There was a satisfactory increase in the total rereipts for electricity, and it went to show that their estimates, as framed, were not going to let the Board down. The installation ac counts were causing the staff some little concern. It was a case of hard times, and people were having a good many difficulties to meet; but the Board did not want to be the last people to be paid, though, generally speaking, local bodies were the last to be paid. In this case he would like customers to make every effort to meet their installation accounts and thus assist the finances of the Board. The report was receiyed.