HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 20 June 1924, Page 2

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

TUEASUKEK'S UIiPOHT. At Tuesday's meeting oi the Horowhmiua rower i>oaiu, the treasurer" (Mr P.' W. GoJdsmita) sported as louuws:— lnteiest on £60,000 Loan.—Hm mtoicst due in Syuney an tne ;ilst msi. na» been proviaod lor, tlio amount being £l9s'/ 7s lid. The iatu oi Bank exchange is j>tiii li per cent., and the cost to v the Board ior sending this money to Sydney was £& 0s 3d. Future null-yearly "payments 0] interest on this loan (due on the dlst June and im- 21st December in every year) will be lor the full amount, viz., £z2oo.

Loan ot £40,000 Ironi Government Lille insurance! Depmrtniani.—A further instalment ol this loan came to hand on the 31st May, the amount being £2OOO, making a total oi £13,000 to date.

Current lor Shannon.—According to an account received from the PuoUe Works Department,' electric power has been supplied do the Borough and people ol Shannon to the extent of 2682 units to the 31st May. The source ol supply has boon lrom the Mangaore temporary power house, and the bill for the cdrient supplied will appear amongst the accounts ior pavment. Shannon Insiallalions.—About the Ist of June some 112 accounts were sent out for installation work in various parts of the Borough of Shannon. The total amount of these accounts was approximately £1660, and payments have already come m to the extent oi £315. Further accounts will be yol out as early as possible and steps will be taken to iacilitaie collection oi same. The general ques- s tion ol meter reading and the collection ol accounts is one which calls Jor very carelul consideration, &to that both the most elhciont ana the mobt I economical methods may eventually be adopted. Smgle Phase Meters. —The total cost tor blupinuuts oi' meters and spaies which came per s.s. "Port Wellington'' and s.s. "Dorset" was £i-HS Is 3d, less an allowance lor payment 111 London oi. £26 7s 4d. A sum of £1066 13s Sd was drawn 'iu London against the, respective shipments, a'nd the balanco due. £323«0s 3d is presented for payment on the pay roll. Office Work.—Mr Ramsay, the accountant, is making good progress with opening the necessary books affecting the Board's busime.ss, and the requirements of the Audit "Department. The stock records ibook involves a great deal ol care and there has been considerable lee-way to maUe up. As the Board will have 1000 consumers in a lew months after the current is available, and as the work in connection with the various wiring groups now formed, and to ( be formed, is considerable, T recommend flip appointment of a capable young man with local body or commercial experience in office work at a salary of say £4 per week. The chairman in moving the adoption of the report said that the a])-' poVifrncnt of oollpelors for the different localities was one which should he considered very carefully. Collectors would not fake over the worU withoutl receiving a commission and fit \vns a question, if iu the case of installatinos. the .Board was entitled to pav a commission out of capital. Tt would nol he much trouble to these people <o pay their accounts into the 'office in Levin.

\ The collection of accounts for current wivs a different- thing, hut he did not think the Board should enter into any hard and fast agreement until they had had more experieno of the working of the business. Regarding the. appointment of additional .office staff, he had gone into the matter with .the secretary and was of flie opinion that another man would hove to he got to assist Mr Ramsay now that accounts for cur--1 rent were becoming payable. Mr Rani&ay had done a very considerable ajiiomil oi work but there was a lot ol leeway to make up. There would •shortly be a largo number oi accounts lu send out—i| was estimated thatl the number would be 1100 when the scnoine was working iully—-uJnd this jii itseJJ was a big undertaking. It was essential also iliat the Board should set u high standard of punctuality in sending out their accounts as consumers would be only too willing to taki' advantage of any laxity in this respect. Mr Seilcrt said that he had had aft opportunity of going'Tuto the system, or costing, etc., which Mr Ramsay ha,d drawn out and the books laid down and would 'like to say that they were very complete a.ud well worfli ii\Q while of the members to inspect. The work of tabulating, etc., was a big one, however, ana he could quite see that when accounts became payable further office staff would be required. Mr Gunning asked that soine arrangement should be made for the collection of accounts for current and installation in Shannon. A number of people there did not know where thev were 1o pay the account and he had himself been offered money.

Mr Seifert-supported Ihis. Every-thing-should be done to make it easy for the consumers to pay. Mr Kilsby said that all accounts should be paid to the office. If commission had to bo paid for collecting it would be costly. He was of opinion that the meter-readers should collect as far as possible. The report was adopted.