HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 22 October 1926, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

A PROSPEROUS HALF YEAI£,

REVENUE TOTALS £17,335

The October meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board was held on Tuesday, Mr. G. A. Monk (chairman of the Board) presiding. Those also present were Messrs C. Ivilsby, T. G. Vincent, A. J. Petherick, A. Seifert, W. H. Gunning, D. W. Matheson. Leave of aDscncc was granted Messrs Ross and Barber. Correspondence, as under, was dealt with: —

The Unemployed. The Go\ v ernmciit Employment Bureau, Palmerston North, asked that in view of the continued unemployment throughout this district all persons requiring labour should make application to the Department. Due care would be taken in the selection of suitable men. The letter was received. “Glow-Worm Lights.” Mr. 11. B. Lethbridge, of Otaki Railway, drew the Board’s attention to tne very unsatisfactory conditions ruling and about his district as regards electric lighting and water-heating. With a 750 element in a 25 gallon container he could not get water as promised, and on live nights a week he could not see to read in his sitting room before 7.30 or '8 p.m., although he was using a 150 e.p. lamp. He thought that a bottle of healthy glow-worms would provide as much light as some of the smaller-pow-ered bulbs at the hour mentioned. In any caSe, it would be steadier. i The letter caused some amusement, as. it was read. , " • . The chairman said he had discussed the matter with the engineer, w'ho considered the load in that particular locality was such as to necessitate a larger transformer being installed. The engineer received authority to carry out his recommendation. paekakariki’s Progress.

The Signal and Electrical Engineer of the Railways Department wrote in connection with the provision of olec--1 trie lighting at Paekakariki station, locomotive shed and railway houses, which it is anticipated will be carried out in the near future. The writer de- . sired information as to whether there would be any difficulty , in connecting up all the railway houses, as one or two of them were somewhat isolated. The secretary said he had replied that it would help matters considerably if the Department would supply a rough sketch of the location of the railway houses, when the matter would then oe gone into. . , The Hutt County Council advised that it had decided to have additional street lights erected in Paekakariki, ' one on the Wellington Road, one in Tilley Road and another on'the parade between Kapiti House and the burf Gink . . The matter is receiving, attention. The Paekakariki Surf and Life Savin* Club wrote in connection with the lighting rate, desiring to be included under the beaeh rate or under the weekend rate, requesting to be advised , as to the difference in the two. The matter is receiving attention. Engineer's Report. The engineer (Mr. J. A. Smith) in reporting on. the work put through since the September meeting, made the following statement: No 1 Gang have fitted and erected 22E.H.T. and 6 L.T. poles; run five services and 27,4 chains of wire; built sub-station and straining tower at the river crossing at Paiaka; erected two E H T. line switches, one set lightning arrestors and four earth guards; have patrolled main south line from to Paekakariki, together with ail suocircuits, and unloaded polep at Levin and Otaki. No. 2 Gang have erected 12 pole.-*, run 21 service lines and' 264 chains of wire, also changed and altered Some of the L.T. in Paraparaumu township. No. 3 Gang have run five services, and erected two poles.. They have been chiefly engaged in general maintenance, straightening up poles, restraining D.l. and cutting trees and strengthening earths on the Shannon-Rangatani line; also attended to consumers ’ installations and Shannon sub-station". Fitter. —Has run two service lines; put L.T. fuses on three transformers; cut in two services,. Wallace 'Road; i dried out and reconditioned four transformers.- Delivered one 75 K.V.A. t rans former to Paiaki Mill sub and ' changed Tiro Tiro Road transformer; also checked loads on various Irans- ' formers, and general maintenance. Duriri'*- the period the Paiaki Mill line was built, but owing to the heavy rains lately, the gang had to be taken off this work, although another two days would have about completed this section. Installations. —During the period 1J new consumers have been signed up, including three ranges, two water-heaters and eight industrial motors; 18 applications have "been received fox- extensions to existing installations, which include four ranges, two milking motors, four water-heaters and two industrial motors; 20 new consumers have been 1 connected up, and 23 extensions to existing installations, which include lo milking and separator motors, nine ranges? 12 industrial motors and 19 water-heaters. The more important connected are R. N. Spiers, Foxton, - h.p.; Mukapai Flaxmill, 764 h.p., also a 15 h.p. motor temporary for the British Imperial Oil Co. . General.—l would recommend the installation of a benzine pump and storage tank at the depot, m order to take advantage of the bulk supply. The cost installed would be between £BO and £9O. The report was adopted, further quiries to be made in regard to the ben zine pump. HALF-YEAR’S FINANCES. The Treasurer (Mr. P. W. Goldsmith) in his report stated as follows: . The close of the half-year on the 30th September last, furnishes an opportunity for reviewing the Board’s opperations and financial position, as regards the first half of the present financial year. A statement of income and expenditure has been prepared and is submitted to members, with other re-

ports and returns for to-day's meeting. From this statement it will be seen that the total revenue for the half year is £17,335 15s 3d and the total expenditure £13,941 13s Id. There is thus a credit balance on tbG half year of £3394 Os Id. It must l>e remembered, howmver, firstly that the loan is bearing a portion of the interest this year, and thus the balance is larger than it would have been if the whole of the interest had been paid out of revenue, and secondly that nothing has been reserved for a depreciation and renewal account. Under the Act provision is made for the setting up of such a fund, and at the end of the present financial year some such action should be taken, and this would absorb a portion of the credit balance appearing to-day as the result of the first six months operations for the present financial year. • Installations. —A return has also been made which shows the financial operations in respect to installations, service lines and fittings since the formation of the Board. In round figures the sum chargeable to consumers stands at neaij'ly £52,000, the amount refunded or paid : back about £36,000, leaving nearly £16,000 still outstanding. It will be noticeable that since the 31st March to the 30th September the sum of £6657 has been collected. For new installations, service lines and fittings, for the same period the cost has been £5918. On the 31st March last the outstanding accounts amounted to £16,635. On the 30th September the amount stood at £‘15,898. This amount appears in the books as general ledger, £3342; advances to consumers' ledger, £12,556. Accounts for payment. —Since last meeting £683 15s 2d has been spent. Wages and salaries account for» the bulk of this account, and the accounts are for confirmation. On the pay-roll for the day the amount is £4889 17s 4d. The chief item is the electricity account for the quarter ended the 30th September, amount £3233 4s. The other larger items are poles, £382 6s 9d; and second progress payment on the foreman 's cottage, £3OO. The charges for electricity during the past three-quarters are as under Quarter ended March 31st, £3176; quarter ended, June 30th, £3lll 8s; quarter ended September 30th, £3233 A

is.' • . Accounts paid. —Since the last meeting of the Board the following accounts have been paid:—-Electricity and meter rents, £2235 7s 10d; penalties, £l2 Us 4d; interest- on installations, £(H) 9s; ranges, motors and water-heaters, £575 ,1.2 s 7d; installations and service lines, £1259 6s lOd; cottage rents and sundries, £l(s 13s 7d; total £4la/ lbs 2d. No consumers have been cut off this month.

The chairman, in moving the adoption of the treasurer ’s report, said that the position, as shown, was entirety satisfactory- so far as the Board’s trading operations were concerned. Even the most, optimistic member of the Board did not expect ' that, in the second year of its trading, the Board would have a revenue of £30,000 a year. This revenue' was necesary, and would give the Board an opportunity, perhaps, of paying a portion of the interest and sinking fund out of loan, and giving the nucleus of a reserve fund. The operations of the half-year pointed to this fact and that the Board’s revenue should be in the vicinity, of £35,000 a year. He felt that there would be an ijjicrease in revenue —exjeopt lighting and, water-heating—in all the channels in which it dealt. There would be a greater revenue. One of two things which had impressed him were, firstly, that for 1925 the Board's installations were £15,593 in value, while the second year they' were £12,614, and £4BIO for service lines, showing that the town reticulations were finished and a movement made where there were no service lines, and showing that the Board was evidently pentrating intp the thin-ly-populated districts, thus getting to the people “farther back." Secondly, that of £52,000 of installations £36,000 had already been collected —a very good performance. The position' was very satisfactory, and showed that the people in the district had backed up the Board very well. In seconding the adoption of the report, Mr. Matheson said he hoped the country people recognised the advantage it had been in their being linked up with the town people, a remark with which the chairman expressed himself as being in full agreement. Mr. Seifert concurred, and said the Board was right in not taking up too optimistic an attitude at the start by giving concessions that could not afterwards be allowed. It was a good thing for the ratepayers to feel that the Board would not have to place a rate on properties —property-owners generally were heavily rated as it was, and they could not stand very much more. The treasuren’s report was then adopted.