POWER ON THE FARM.

Shannon News, 10 June 1924, Page 2

POWER ON THE FARM.

ADDRESS BY. MANAWATU BOARD'S ENGINEER. \ A meeting of Kongolea farmers, called under the auspices of the local branch of the Farmers' Union, was ; held in the Coronation Hall last even- ( ins- Mr A. G. Dear presided over u ' very good attendance, and there were j also on the platform Messrs J. A.., Nash, M.P., J. Linklater, M.P., Ml A. ' Eliott, and H. H. Hunt, members ot the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board. The chairman called on Mr Nash to speak, after a few introductory remarks. • Mr Nash congratulated the district on having .ucssrs Linklater and Hunt to represent them. He was sure Mr Waters, the chief engineer, . would satisfy the farmers that they were getting fair /treatment. Mr Waters had just, beem on a tour in connection with electrical matters, and had valuable information to imparls. The speaker also referred to the cost of the Board's undertaking:. It was thought that it would cost £5(10,000 at first, but owing t>o 'reduced prices, ■ the cost would now be about £400.000. ■ He hoped they would never be called on to pay special rates, Mr Waters knew his job, and the Board had every confidence in him. He was full " r energv and push, and his first consideration was the interests of "the people using electricity. He referred to the fact tliat. most fanners- were anxious lo instul power and light, and it would '. be available for next season. If the i farmers were not prepared to go on with the scheme locally, they would be lei!4 for'the present, and the Board's 1 energies concentrated on' those districts where there-was a demand. ' With regard to the cost/of current, the i: price had been fixed, and there would be no alteration niatU). [ Mr Linklater said he was glad so [• much interest, was being taken in the matter, and was certain the Board was I supplying power as cheaply as anywhere i"' New Zealand. I'rice Comparisons.

Mr W.'/A. Waters, in his opening remarks,, ouWined what the Board had done for the farmer in the purchase of motors. It had called tenders and purchased 40 0 2-h.p. motors, and these were buingjSold to the farmers for i'lG, complete* with a patent foolproof switch*!or starting the motor. The cost or wiring up the motors was being done by contract at 15 4-0/ per motor, which worked out at £2l 10/ for each motor installed. In this matter also the farmers should note that the Power Board" had purchased a special car for emergency calls, and this car would always carry a spare motor in case of trouble, and it could, if necessary, be installed in a few minutes.

In, dealing with recent statements in the press, regarding the selling of current for 13d per unit for ranges, the speaker stated that the ladies were entitled to consideration, and this price gave the lad,:es in the country the same cooking facilities as the townspeople enjoyed, With gas at 7/6 per - 1000 feet. -He assured those present that it/ was safe to say that in a few years' x time, 8U per' cent, ol' the homos would do their cooking electrically.' Mr Waters next dealt with power milliuig motors, and the various tariffs in force in otiher districts for a 2h.p. .motor. .Te Awamutu-charged £l2 a year plus 3d unit for SO units a month, and 2d for the balance. The Cambridge Board's price was. £2l, plus 4d a unit; the Central Power Board, £l2, plus, ad a unit for SO units a month, - the balance at 2d; Thames Valley, £ls plus 1-od per lb for buliter-fat aver a specified amount: Wairarapa, £2O, with a Limit to units used; Banks Peninsula, £l2, plus 3d per unit; Wanganui-Ilangitikei, £lO, plus 3d for 120 units a month, balance at 2d; Manawatu-Oroua Board, £lO, plus 2id a unit. Thus they would see that the local tariff compared very favourably with any of tlhe others. Horse-I'ower Basis of Charge. - lii_ dealing with the reasons for ehiirgFli.tf a-price l>or horse-power, plus charge i'or'uni's used, the speaker pointed out that a cliai'fffi --based on units only meant that - the slloi't,hours user was getting his power at tire-expense of longer hours' users. It was a recognised principle that a tariff based "on horse-power, plus units used, was a" much more equitable method of charging. Agitation had been made to get the farmers' motoV tariff based on .industrial .motor rates, but. the speaker pbihted out" if the revenue of a milking motor" was £lB per annum, the actual power' in K.V.A. cost the Power Board the sani,e sum, so that to get any profit the power had to be sold again { to another user at a different time of the .day. - ~ .Let. J hem "'contrast this with an industrial motor, running full load SO per cent of the possible hours in a year. The speaker demonstrated to the audience that with power at Id a unit- the return would be £i>l 10/, an increase of revenue for the same horse-power of £33 10/. Fanners Stick "to Electricity. The number of units used in a milking plant was given, for two representative plants, milking 50 to 60 cows (average) per season. The highest monthly reading was 1.38 units a month; the reading*..,for the flush of the season being September 24, October 105. November 118. December 102. January 102, February 138, March 31, etc., a total"of' 822 units a year, which would cost,, under the Mana-watu-Oroua Power Board's tariff, £l9 12/1 per annum. A.case in the Waikato was cited where one owner had three sheds, the cost, of power per pound of butter-fat produced being: Kerosene engine, .573 ponce; electric No. 1, .435 pence; electric No. 2, .531. After twelve months' test, the owner electrified the third shed, owing to the cost and the many advantages inherent in the. electrical drive. 1 A list of motors installed Or 'O7

order, to the various Boards was as follows:—Thames Valley, 921; Central, 418 ;•« -Cambridge, 157; Te Awamutu, 260; total, 1750. Statements had been circulated in the district that iiie farmers in the Waikato were going back to oil engines, owing to the cost of electricity, and mow that benaine was cheaper. Mr Waters read out letters from the engineers of the other Power Boards, which proved that in only one case had a farmer resorted to the oil engine, owing to number of cows he milked, but the letter stated that the «uhe farmer intended to use electricity again during the coming season. This was surely enough proof of how the farmer had taken to the 'power, in the Waikato, and that they were satisfied with paying on a horsepower basis plus a charge per unit. • Mi- Waters answered a large number of questions to the apparent satisfaction of the inquirers.

A vote of thanks'to the gentlemen who had attended closed the meeting.