POWER FOR MILKING PLANTS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 289, 23 May 1929, Page 1

POWER FOR MILKING PLANTS.

LOWER CHARGES. Engineer’s Proposals Approved. Proposed new rates for milking machine motors were outlined in a special report submitted to the Thames Valley Power Board at its last meeting by the chief engineer, Mr. N. G. McLeod. Mr. McLeod stated that records obtained from other parts of New Zealand where milking motors were metered, and some tests taken by the board, indicated that on the average the consumption of electricity was at the rate of about 25 units per cow. The figures naturally varied considerably, depending upon the efficiency of the plant, the number of workers in a shed, whether a skim milk pump, water pump and separator were used, the size of vacuum pump installed, and the number of bails in the plant. The more workers there were in a shed the less time would it take to put the cows through—this implying that more bails would be used. If no milk or water'pumps or separators were used the units would be less; and if a smaller vacuum pump could be utilised the unit consumption would fall. The tendency of metering' would be to make consumers keep their plants in good mechanical condition, and to work them for no longer than necessary. For the purpose of determining the rate to apply, it had been assumed that the average number of units used would be 25 pet cow per annum. Comparison with the present rate had been made in the following table, it being assumed that the average butter-fat • production was 2201 b per cow per annum:—

The proposed new rate is 3d per unit plus £4 per h.p., with a discount of 10 per cent for prompt payment. It would be noted that, compared with the present charges, the proposed rate gave a reduction of 8.27 per cent to the 200-cow man with a 2 h.p. motor, and a reduction of 9.S per cent to the 30-cow man. Supply to pump and other farm motors could be metered under any -■f the three following methods, said Mr. McLeod:— (a) Motor on change-over switch with milking motor. Unit charge onlv—no h.p. charge. (b) Motors controlled by time switch, supplied by board, to cut off on peak load. Unit charge, plus 2s per month—no h.p. charge. (c) Motor for unrestricted sunply —same rate as milking motor with a minimum of £4 per annum for 1-h.p. or more. The report was adopted.

No. of cows. Old f. rate, s. d. New £. rate, s. d 30 (2 h.p.) 17 4 5 15 12 7 40 (2 h.p.) 20 5 6 IS 9 0 60 (2 h.p.) 20 7 9 24 1 6 80 (2 h.p.) 32 10 0 29 14 0 120 (2 h.p.) 44 14 0 40 19 0 200 (2 h.p.) 69 3 4 63 9 0 120 (3 h.p.) 48 15 0 .44 11 0 200 (3 h.p.) 73 3 10 07 1 0