HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 18 September 1925, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING,

The September meeting of the H.orowhenua Power Board was held on Tuesday. The chairman, Mr G. A. Monk, presided, and there were also present Messrs A. A. Brown, W. E. Barber, C. Kilsby, A. Mackay, W. H. Gunning, and D. W. Matheson. CORRESPONDENCE.

From the P. and T. Department in regard to electric, lighting of public call offices, one of which has been recently installed in Levin and another at Foxton. A 20-watt lamp will be required for each and it was further stated that a flat rate of £2 per annum, the currents to be supplied direct off the lighting mains without a meter, was charged lor a similar service in Palmerston North and Wanganui. The Board's secretary, had already acquiesced in the charge of £2 per annum per lamp, his action being endorsed hy the Board. The Government Life Insurance Department wrote in connection with the proposed application for a further loan of £15,000, which the Department's Board qf Investment is prepared to entertain subject to the money being taken up at a time or times suitable to the Department and the sufficiency and legality of the security and to the whole matter being arranged to the satisfaction of the Department, at the Board's expense. The loan will be on a 6. per cent, basis repayable by half-yearly instalments, over a period of 36* years. At the present moment the Department could not definitely state when the money will be available, but it was expected t 0 know with more certainty in atoout a month's time—. The secretary reported having made application and his action was endorsed. Ajx electrical appliances dealer in the district wrote asking that as his showroom was used solely for the demonstration qf heating,' lighting and the like the Board might make ,the price qf current more attractive, urging that it would be advantageous to both the Power Board and himself. —Having previously declined previous similar applications, the Board was unable to grant the request.— ,A Wellington firm of financial brokers, enquired whether the Board required, or were likely to require, any loans. They could raise local body loans to any extent at 5| per cent, for 36| years, secured by special rate with a sinking fund of one per cent. The principal sum may be advanced at par'in New Zealand, interest payable and principal repayable in London free of exchange to the tenders, brokerage at one per cent—The chairman said the charges hrought the price up' to more than the Board could obtain the- money for elsewhere. • ENQUIRIES FOR POWER. Mr Kilsby presented a petition irom six residents of the South Manakau and Waitohui roads asking when they would get the power as promised

some time aga \ In answer to Mr Matheson, the

chairman said the only difficulty was that the district was rather thin so far as -consumers were concerned. Mr Kilsby said the residents only wanted to know whether they were going to get the current or not. The chairman said the Board would not know that uniil a. canvass was made.

Mr Kilsby considered these two roads and the Rahul Road would almost make a, group. The chairman said this was the next part of the district to be canvassed and it would be done as soon as the milking motors were linked up. The Engineer (Mr Smith) stated he would be able to make a preliminary canvass within a month to ascertain how much current would i>e taken. The Board would then be able to say what it was prepared to do. REPLACING LAMPS.

Mr Maokay brought up the matter of replacing 1 street lamps at the south em end of the district. Two of these had been out far some time and the Power Board inspector had to come from Otaki to replace them. He understood that arrangements had been made with a County Council employee to do this work and other small repairs. Evidently this had not been done - , ~ , The chairman said it seemed mat owing to some misunderstanding the instructions had not been given, and it would also be necessary to provide supplies. This would be done and would be more satisfactory than just paying a man to report failures of lamps. , DAIRY COMPANIES' PEAK LOAD.

The Kuku, Dairy Co. wrote stating it was the opinion of dairy factory managers in the Horowhenua Power Board's area that Dairy Companies were not getting a square deal in the matter of power charges. They stated the main fault appeared to arise in the slack months through the system of reading the maximum demand indicator quarterly. For instance, after reading the meter on 31st March the next period reads from Ist April til] 30th June, and while the .peak load occurs on the Ist April it is reduced to about one-third i>y the end of the month; while in May and June the load was sometimes less than onethird of the maximum, therefore the companies derived no benefit during May and June. During the following period (Ist July to 30th September) in July and August the factories run on,about one-third of the peak load showing at the end of September, which, under the present system fhey had to pay for over the three months. This meant that they were paying during the fou<r slack months, for as much power as they did in the 'flush' period. They suggested that the meters and maximum demand indicators should be read monthly to ensure a fairer basis of charge, and even up the cost of running on electricity compared with steam. •• The chairman said the Board's charges were fixed on the same guar terly basis that the Public Works Department charged the Board. The Board had to pay quarterly on the peak load. It depended on-what diversity of. load the Board could oh

tain in its district whether any relief could be given. They did not want to exploit the dairy companies, and the matter would need to be gone into very carefully. He .suggested that a small committee of himself, the Engineer and secretary be set up to cro into the matter with the KMtu Dairy Company and he supposed whatever was decided in regard to them would apply to all other dairy companies. He' mewed to set up the committee. Mr Barber said that, as a director of the Shannon Dairy Company, he ■knew that they had similar views to the Kuku Company. He seconded the motion. The chairman pointed out that if the dairy companies created a peak load in April, the Board would have to pay the' Public Works for it throughout the quarter. He wondered whether anything could be done within the factory to avoid a peak in April and September. That was a matter for consideration and the committee would go into it with the companies and report to the Council. The motion was carried. TREASURER'S REPORT. The Treasurer reported:—

Since the last meeting of the Board accounts for installations and service lines have been paid for to the extent of £1520. Receipts for electricity, meter rent, and for motors,' ranges, etc., £1205. Since last meeting receipts on Loan Accounthad been as follows: Installations £4944, service lines £ll3. With amounts received previously the totals were: Installations £6351, service lines £557. In the Power Fund Account, the receipts since last meeting were: Electricity £1025, meter rents £52, motors, ranges, etc., £127. With amounts previously received these'.made totals of Electricity £7145, meter rents £256, motors, ranges, etc., £1207; grand total of receipts £15,518. ACGOUNTS. The accounts presented for confirmation totalled £1903 13s lid. The principal items making up this amount were: Wages £914 18s 9d,/wiring group contractors £540 13s, salaries £266 3s 4d. The accounts presented on the pay noil amount to £2661 18s. Of this amount £lOl4 is for bare and TO3. copper wire, benzine and oil account for £215, wiring groups for £484, the balance being made up of accounts for copper cylinders, insulators, timber, poles and rails, motors, ranges, meters and many sundry accounts.