ELECTRIC LIGHT SYSTEM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 72, 21 April 1909, Page 3

ELECTRIC LIGHT SYSTEM

KKVIKW OK THE VKAIVS WOltK.

Mi'. <i. \V. lirnwm, eliainnan of the Eleclric Lighting Committee, delivered a careful and comprehensive ri'[iort to tlu> Jloni.igh Council (Hi Monday ni"ht cunccruing tin. electric ]iu],t 'dcpartineni. 1» <liiing so, li t i took the opportunity >t giving ill,, whole cost to date logcUlcr vvitii tin. positions of tin. various luaiiof the •!<-|iiirtnu-iit with the amounts of sinking' innil attached to cadi loan ()V loan No. 1. USDIM. tin- commit!,.,, received V,m 7s Id (this carried no sinkmg fund); Xo. ■>, „f C7»IHt, tin- conuni!tco .Ceiled £0304 SS 7d (I/, ].,•]• (Till. sinking fund provided); .No :; special loan of f.lo,oiiii, tli P foniinitt.... had received the full amount ('/., ,„, ~-nt. sinking fund provided. In" connection with loan Xo. 4 of .tr.20(1, the delientures sold amounted to £2700. and tindepartment had an overdraft at tin bank of £ll9O Os lid, hut against this there was .tiJOO ha lance of unsold ,|cheiitures. A sinking fund of '/., per cent, was provided. The total cost to date of the undertaking was C2.11i.-iS Ills 2d, and there was £174 13s 1,1 in the hands of the sinking fund trustees viz., Xo. 2 loan tin 3s Id; Xo. 11, toll-' Xo. 4. £l3 Ills. During the past Year the department had made very satisfactory progress, the following works and extensions having been carried out., flic new Xo. 0 transmission line had' been run from the powerhouse to the sub-station. The estimated cost of this work was £IOOO, and it was very gratifying to him to he able to report that the actual cost was very much below this amount, being El 100. or .Colli) less than was anticipated when undertaken. The larger proportion „f this saving was brought about by the fall in the copper market. The lines had been extended to the Fitzroy district and continued on to the abattoir, the actual cost of Ibis ■work being ,OMI, also being 1,,.|,>w the estimate by ,£Ol. At the powerhouse a new cottage had been erected, and the chief engineer was now in occupation The powerhouse and workman's cottage had been painted and both buildings were now in perfect order and condition During the year five 32 candle-power incandescent lights and four llame arc lights had been added to street lighting of the borough and at Vogeltown two additional street lights had"been added to the extension. The whole of the machinery was running very smoothly and giving every satisfaction'. The new Woodward governor had been fixed to the 100-h.p. turbine with the best of results, regulating to withrn 30 per cent, as reported by the engineer. Ueferrin" again to the street lignting, the borough was lighted at present with 1(10 32-e?p. lamps, S arc lamps, and 4 llame lamps. The number of consumer*, of light and power continued to increase. For instance, at March 31, 1007. the number of consumers was 107, at the end of the following year the figures showed the substantial increase of 302, and at the end of last year's working the number was 417. The revenue produced therefrom was—lflOG-7 (less arrears, £33 l:l s 4,1), £972 13s 2d; 1007-8, £2281 18s 4,1-1908-0, £3341 10s 2,1. The total increase, therefore, was £2335 3s during the three years. In 1000-7 the cost of street lighting was £400; in the following year £OOO, and last year it was set down as £.708 18s 4d, hut he would remind the Council tliat the actual cost last year was £O3O 8s 4d, the balance of the £7OB 18s 4d being made up by the following items; Library £32 10s. baths £3, Town Hall £l7, and Post' Office clock £2O.

The receipts for the year were as follows—Balance April 1," 1008, £l3O 14s 7d; lighting, £2464 10s lid; street lighting, £036 8s 4d; power, £240 4s lid; sale of materials and other charges, £052 3s ad—total, £4424 8s 2d. The expenditure for the same period was £3701 12s 2d, made up as under:— Plant maintenance (material £ll7 13s Id, wages £.534 8s 8il), £052 Is Oil; private lighting (material £44 Ss id, wages and salaries £223 8s 8d), £207 17s 3d; street lighting (material £O3 4s 3d, wages and salaries £73 8s). £1 8 12s 3d; office (material £2O 4s id. •wages and salaries £IBO 18s 4d"), £2102 lis; stock in hand March 31st, 1009, £3BO Is (id; sales and connections (material £lOl2 las, wages £O3 10s), £107(1 14s, making a total of £2030 0s 4d. to which had to be added £1132 2s 101 interest on loans. The credit balance at March 31st last, therefore, stood at £032 His. The net profit for th? year, including arrears for current supplied, stock on hand, abattoir Hoist, and March sales account, was £.1002 13s Od, less £lB lis interest on overdraft loan account, now charged to lnnn.liut which should be charged to maintenance account. Nothing had been set aside for dipreclatlun. The installing of meters was now becoming a serious matter, a large amount of capital being locked up in this direction. .He suggested that some system of annual charge per lighi. mijfht lie arranged fur in small in-lalli-tio'ns. ih.- amount being fixed on. say. two years' reading in cases where mmpiers were owners. Having reviewed the progress (if the department to date, it now became ids duty to indicate the reijiilrements of the future. In the first place the time had arrived to consider a further expansion at the power-house by the installation of a 200 k.w. generating set and augmenting the present p.iwer supply. The Borough Engineer was at present engaged formulating a scheme for this purpose, and no tim: 1 should lie lost in getting the matter ialo the bands of the committee for consideration. A generating set as indicated would lie capable of taking, up the whole of the present load and enable repairs to be effected without in any | way inconveniencing the customers should a breakdown occur to the existing machines. The rate at which customers were being linked on wanantcl the undertaking. When the proper time arrived full details of the extra earning power, etc., would be brought down. In conclusion, he expressed the appreciation the committee felt for the stall', who had carried out their various duties ill an excellent manner under flic direc- | tion of the engineer. Mr. Black.

The Mayor moved a very hearty vole of thanks to Councillor Browne for his comprehensive report, and congratulated ■him upon the working of his department. Councillor f!c|lrii!!irr seconded, hut added that the report was not so -rosy" as it appeared to be on the face of it; it was all one-sided. The Council must face the position in a fair and just manner, and depreciation must be paid oil year by year. He contended that on such machine - y a« that used in tac electrical department depreciation should be written off in a fairly heavy wanner. Even if they allowed depreciation at 2% per cent—a very low estimate- If would reduce the credit balance very much Indeed. At this rate the depreciation would amount to tlllT-i per annum—a very small amount on the . r.2',0H0 which' the plant had cost, ami deductbi" this from the balance of >J!>S4 thev would see tli.il there would be a very low credit left. The installation had been ill existence for some years, and not a penny had been written off for depreciation. It was only sound business to write off depreciation, if only one per cent. The Mayor cited the waterworks in support of Councillor llcllringcr's remarks.

'Councillor Browne said he would endeavour to get his committee to make provision next year. The motion was carried, and Councillor Browne brielly acknowledged the vote of thanks.