HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 4002, 26 September 1929, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

SEPTEMBER MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horowlienua Electric Power Board was held in_Levin, on Tuesday. SLOT METERS -SUGGESTED. ,A letter was received from Mr. J. Johansen, -Palmerston North, asking if the Board w’ould be prepared to instal electric slot meters in seaside cottages, owing- to the difficulty of collecting from tenants money for the use of lights. The secretary reported that he had replied stating that the Board had not so far installed any slot meters; that they were fairly expensive, and the demand for them was small. He had also stated that, while it was difficult to collect always the exact amount from tenants, an owoier could fix the rent to provide for such contingencies as forgotten or unpaid lighting accounts. 'Speaking on the mattej’, the secretary said he did not Jthink that slot meters would be very advisable for bgach cottages, which might be broken into when unoccupied. It. jwas decided to inform Mr. Johansen that,Vowing to their cost, .the Board could not undertake the installation of slot meters. TREASURER’S REPORT. The following report u 7 as presented by t-h« treasurer: — ’ ACCOUNTS.

Although no interest or electricity payments appear on the list for the month, yet the total amount is over |£2700. In the accounts presented for confirmation the principal items are: Motor vehicles (4) purchased, £750; salaries, £292; wages, £332: railway freight(chiefly poles], £94; superannuation, £4Bj installations, £3O. The balance is made up of payments for 100 railway sleepers, registration fees for new vehicles, and a few sundries. Owing to the demand for electricity, more men are engaged in construction work,' hence wages amount to a. larger sum than has been the case of late. In the accounts for the day, copper wire is most prominent, as it accounts for payments of about £545. There are two condensers costing £120; ranges, waterheaters, fuses, elements and miscellaneous line material appearing on the list, as also accounts for benzine, motor requisites, insurance premiums, typewriter, stationery, and many sundries. Cash Receipts,—-The cash receipts for the month have been satisfactory for the time of the year, and are considerably in advance of August, 1928. This, 1 presume, is iis it should be, but naturally’ the Board must expect a • larger bill from Mangahao at the end of the quarter. The following table shows the cash takings for the month and for the present financial year: —

'Total for Aug. * t 5 mos. Electricity 329(1 18550 Penalties 28 ’ 140 Sundry debtors 596 2092 Interest on ■ installations 22 72 Miscellaneous 69 334 Totals £4013 £2llBB (Shillings aud pence omitted). It will be seen that the receipts from sundry debtors (mainly payments for installations) amount to over £2OOO for the five months under review. It will also be noticed that a number of our consumers continue to pay the higher rate, (on those accounts not paid at due date), to the extent of an average of £2B .pejr month for the five months of the current year. LOAN MATTERS.

Members will have gathered from the engineer’s report, and will also from their ow’n observations, that from the calls for extensions in various parts of the Board’s district,

the necessary construction that must be carried out is considerably moire than was anticipated some twelve months ago. The last loan of £SOOO is disappearing fast, and it will be necessary to make further arrangements in the near future if the Board’s progressive work is not to be impeded. The ehst of copper wire has increased some £ls per ton. This means, of course, that loan moneys do not go quite so far as hitherto. To date the Board has raised in all £195,000. Another £SOOO will probably be required to complete extensions contemplated and to meet new calls. The repolrt was adopted.