HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

Shannon News, 17 December 1926, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

GENERAL PROGRESS REPORTED. COMPLETION OP POXTON LINE. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board was held on Tuesday. There were present: Messrs Monk (chairman), Kilsby, Barber, Vincent, Petherick, Gunning, Matheson, Goldsmith (secretary) and J. A. Smith (engineer). Leave of absence was granted to Messrs Seifert and Ross. School Lighting Charges. The Director of Education wrote stating that the minimum monthly charge for electricity would have the effect of penalising school committees, as school buildings were only used on one or two evenings a month and were closed for six weeks at the end of each year. The would be glad to know whether the Board would be prepared to forego the charge as far a 3 school buildings were concerned, - The secretary stated that the Tararua Board's secretary had written to him asking what arrangements this Board had made with the school committees. He had replied stating that the Board had not yet made any decision as to the minimum charge for schools.

The chairman said that where there were entertainments the committees should pay the minimum charge. It was a hardship that they should have to pay when the schools were closed for so long. To make an alteration in the system of charging, it would be necessary to instal meters. The Board did not want to have too many kinds of rates. There was already the seaside rate.

On the motion of Mr. Gunning, it was resolved that, where no entertainments are held in the schools, the***seaside rate shall apply.

Treasurer's Report, i The report of the ' treasurer -(lM,r.. Goldsmith) was as under:— Accounts. —Payments made since the last meeting of the Board amounted to £990 7s 3d, the principal items being wages", £412; third progress payment to the contractor for the erection of the foreman's cottage, £250. On the pay-roll for the day there are accounts to be passed amounting to £4783. The .chief payment is the sum of £2,200 plus exchange to the A.M.P. Society '"for six months' interest, -payable in Sydney. This interest is in respect to the £BO,OOO loan, and as a matter of fact the bank-draft-has already been forwarded to the Society in Sydney, so as to be in readiness for payment on due date, viz., the 21st December. The yearly sinkingfund on this loan is also payable at an early date, the amount being £BOO. When paid this will be the- fourth yearly sum of £BOO paid over to the Public Trust Office for the sinking fund account. There is also a payment for about 10 tons of bare wire, the cost of which, with a few insulators, accounts for £916. The installations put in for consumers comes to about £250. These form the principal items to be passed, and the balance is made up of payments for various goods and commissions.

Receipts.—Since the last meeting of the Board the receipts for electricity and meter re-nts have amounted to £2153; other receipts for installations, ranges, water-heaters, etc., amount to over £IOOO, and the total takings since last meeting come .to £3174. From the following i,t will be seen that from ail sources there has been collected from the Ist April to date the sum of £33,534:

Grand total £33,534 8 4 Large outlay on installations. —The people of the Board's district have installed electrical appliances, through the Board,.,Co the extent, approximately, of £55,000. Of this sum £30,000 has been repaid to the Board. No pay, no light.—During the month several notices were sent out to discontinue the supply unless the arrears for electricity were paid up. In these cases by far the largest percentage find means to pay up, . and for the .past month no one was actually cut. off. The absent-minded.—Recently atten ; tion has been given to some installation accounts which are overdue. A certain number of our consumers do not trouble much about .their liabilities in respect to their "installations, and after the holidays it will be necessary in some instances to Jet an outside authority convince them that where liabilities are incurred they must also be met. The report was adopted, and the accounts passed for payment. : The Board's Debtors. The chairman said the pay-sheet appeared a heavy one, but this was attributable to the payment of interest and sinking fund, and to .the purchase of a considerable amount of bare wire. The chairman called attention to the treasurer's remarks about those who were getting a little behind with their payments, principally for current. , This meant that the Board would have to take the matter up. The Board did not wish to cut anybody off if it could be avoided; but this would beeome necessary if payment was not made in due course. In some cases consumers whose payments were overdue did not. even trouble to reply lo the reminders that were sent to them. The Board

would have to take drastic action m such cases. The chairman added that.

considering the times, the revenue collected was keeping up very well.

1st April to last meeting. Since Electricity and meter rents 21276 17 2 ! 2152 17 o Penalties 75 8 9 12 6 5 Kanges, motors, water-heat-ers, etc. .2377 16 7 251 5 3 Interest .. 444 0 5 18 2 10 Installation and service lines 5982 10 8 716 11 6 Co,ttage rente, etc. 203 11 4 23 .0 3 Totals £30,360 4 11 £3174 3 5