THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 312, 10 January 1908, Page 3

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

BUKUUWU'G i'KurOBALt). Al\l'KU\ KD ill nATiil'AYiuvb' iULLXX^u. Ulere was olliy a smaii aLLwta.iij last iiignL al Llie meeting w coin diet! to discuss tile proposal iu uu low for the municipal ciecu lighting department. lli 3 Worship tl -Uayor presided. Councillor U, \V. Browne, ch.iirma of tlie Electric Lighting CoiiiuiitLce, wo called upon to explain the scheme, JJ Brow ne said that tile amount borrowe for the electric lighting department ha been £22,000, in two loans of £12,00 and £lo,oijo, paving •> per cent and per cent interest respectively, makiiij a total annual interest ell irge of CtO.U The second loan, of £IO,OOO was raise, for the purpose of paying „fl- i.|,„ ties under -Mr ilestayer's origiiti scheme, and in providing"f or the Jni>n cation of the generating plant. He reai a statement of how this money had beei disposed of. There was a cash balan« e of £2O lis ,M, in addition to which the . committee had been authorised to obtain, hut had 110 L ordered, goods to the I amount of £l(>;j. .stock in hand 011 31st December was valued at £BO7 10s. At ■list .March last the borough balancesheet showed that the electric light working account was £220 5s 8d hut £IOOO interest had to be paid, leaving the department in arrears by approximately £774. But, of course, at the initiation of any large scheme there must necessarily |, c a dark year or two financially. As a contrast he produced the actual figures of the working and interest accounts for the nine montl* from 31st March to December 31st, 1007. Actual receipts amounted to, £1704 18s Id. Against this were charged: Working account £793 life Id, and interest account £731, leaving an actual profit of .£l2O. Thus it would be Been that the electric lighting department had now entered on its financially bright side, and with every doubt as to "it s paving c 1 parity removed. It was marvellous that in so short a period the

business had forged ahead, wipin-r oli L the arrears and substituting for It a profit. When the estimates were framed for Hie year it was considered the electric lighting department would do flell if it could pay its way. Not only had this been accomplished, but he anticipated that by the end of the financial year, on the 31st. March, there would be a surplus of between £3OO and £350. .Mr Browne gave particulars of the plant installed. So rapid had been, the increase of consumption that at one time the committee seriously contemplated the introduction of auxiliary power, but the expedition used by the borough engineer in brin«liiK the new power-mnin into position relieved the tension and Saved the ratepayers fully .£250. Mention was made of the very satisfactory manner in 'hirli the I'pccnt insfnllntmno

electrical staff wore made. Then the speaker wont on to the ]o atl proposals proper. The total asked for was ,£.V>OO to 1.0 allocated for now transmission' lino, extensions, and stock. First in importance came tlio duplication of the transmission line from the powerhouse to the distributing station, fo r which £I,OO would he required. At. present the line was overloaded, and there was a loss of 35 per cent of current. This could be reduced to 10 ner cent b T duplicating with number 0 high tension a Wl ™K of from £.IOO to £3oo per annum. This line, too, would be capable of carrying a larger supply of power if the plant were again enlarged. As the streets of the town were nearly all wired, the heavy expenditure in poles would not recur, and the principal oxpediture in future would be for connecting up consumers, for

metres etc. A sum of £I4OO was asked for the extension of the system to Fitzrov niifi tile abattoirs. At tlic latter place 24 horse-power was required for the new chilling rooms, return in? a revenue of £OO per annum. The alternative -was a steam engine, costing £BSO for installation besides nil annual expense of £284. The eleetrie installation would cost £2OO, and the annual charges £BB, showing an annual saving of £lO6 on the transaction. Thi(s line would also lie used to Supply power to the Council's stone-crushing and hauling plant, earning £O3 approximately for the committee, and saving to the ratepayers about Is 3d a yard upon every yard of stone used -on the streets, roughly £250 to £3OO a year. Provision was made to pick up, say. 30 lighting consumers on the way, estimated to produce £9O revenue. This Fitzroy and abattoir extension, for an expenditure of £I4OO, would return an annual revenue (after deducting £7O interest) of £143, exclusive of the saving in the metal account. The third head-

ing in the requirements was "stock, £2000," but this portion of the Joan would not be raided at once. IVIr Browne said he had no hesitation ill saying that next year the profits would l>e from £IOOO to £I2OO if this loan were authorised. Every new consumer would help to lower the cost per unit of production, for it cost no more to manage 50(1 consumers than 100. The committee was how in" possession of the plant to produce the current, and it was in the hands of the ratepayers to say whether they would provide the fund 6 necessary to carry the current to the consumers. Thel'e was no doubt as to the soundness of the venture. Mr Harris Ford asked if it were true that the installation had cost £12,00. Mr Browne: £22,000. Mr Ford: Worse than ever. Mr Collis said it mattered nothing to the ratepayers how much the installation cost so long as it were a paying Tenlure. This was paying, and would pay better yet. It was not going to be a burden, but a benefit to the ratepayers. Mr Shaw asked if Mr Ford objected to the profit. Mr Ford: It's only no paper. Mr Shaw: Oh, no. Mr Browne Baid the figures were from actual working experience. They should remember, too, that in the nine months' revenue quoted some of tWbiggest consumers (the hospital, harbor, and Vogeltown street lighting) had only been connected for n few months. Next year the profits should be three or four times bigger, as the earnings would double themselves without a single new consumer being added. In reply to Mr W. Bewle.y, Mr Browne »aid there was a big margin of the day load to dispose of for motors. The consumption, however, was increasing. Mr Andrews said there was no guarantee that this big expenditure would not double the rates. Mr Browne said the new loan would nearly treble the earnings. As for rates, the electric light special rate had never

been collected, and lie thought it never Would be, as the scheme was more than self-supporting. Mr F. Bellringer considered the loan proposals were very satisfactory. The light was getting very popular. Every plan of a new building in the borough contained provision for installing the light, which was the be*t illumiuant obtainable. The electric light competition liad had the effect of making the Gas Company more progressive and more considerate to consumers. Mr Bewley supported the scheme. He said he had alwaya believed in the electric light system, which was the best asset the borough_had. 11c could not imagine how anyone could quibble at this loan after hearing the results of the previous nine months' working. lie considered that soon it would be a factor in the reduction of rates, and congratulated Mr Browne on his clear exposition of the ]»sitioii, and the committee for its management of the department. Mr Browne moved the formal resolution authorising the poll of ratepayers. Mr R. \Y. Shaw seconded. He was satisfied he was supporting a good thing. He had had the light installed for six months, and was more than satisfied with it and the low cost of it. He believed the electric light opposition lmd been a friend to the gas company instead of harming it.

The Mayor, speaking as a director of the Qas Company, snid 10 per rout dividends wro paid more easily now than eigltt per rent before the opposition fame. TTe fully supported the loan proposals, whivh he considered necessary and judicious. The motion was eaTried. nnd the poll of ratepayers will be taken on Friday next, 17th inst.