WAITARA.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1919, Page 3

WAITARA.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT • DEPARTMENT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Waitara, July 10. At the meeting of the Waitara Borough Council held last evening a very comprehensive report was received from the electric light committee as to the cost of running the power house and the reason of the loss incurred through it. The committee found that the extra cost of running was due imainly to the loss oi the storage battery and the greatly increased c-ost of labor. The figures supplied by the engineer, Mr. Johnson, Bhowed that the generation of the day load was costing £460 per annum, and was producing a revenue of £6O per annum, with very little prospect of being materially increased, and the day load can only be continued at a very heavy, loss. While fully realising the inconvenience it will cause the users, it appears impossible to continue the day load under present conditions. Moreover, the ratepayers are providing, by special rate, £4BO per annum ,to suppwi this plant, which, up to the present time, has far from paid working expenses, allowing nothing for interest or depreciation.

The balance sheet for the year shows a deficit of £630, apart from interest and depreciation. On the expenditure side, salary and wages and extra labor cost £960, fuel and oil £609, the total revenue from the plant being £1409. It was absolutely necessary for both these items to be considerably reduced before approaching anything like a profitable return. Discontinuing the d,ay shift would allow the plant to be worked by the manager and two you.th», one of whom could also attend to outside worn on the lines, etc. The amount of fuel used was excessive. The practice of supplying coal to employees was inadvisable and unsatisfactory, and its discontinuance was advocated. Shed accommodation should be provided as soon as possible for storage of fuel. There are 270 consumers, and if 24 business premises and hotels are deducted, paying f402 10s per annum, it leaves 24V! private places, paying £B27' 10s, or an average of £3 3s per annum. This average is considerably below the general average of other boroughs. A big leakage was found, partly due to faulty lines and connections, and partly due to ,the improvident way the lights arc used in premises where flat rates are paid. Some of the meters are also of poor quality and not registering correc.tly, If possible, the adoption of good class meters was strongly urged, but at the present time'they are unprocurable. The readjustment of fiat rates was recommended, also the passing of a by-law giving the manager power to enter any premises where the light is installed to make examination if he sees fit, and a suggestion was made to appeal to consumers to use their privileges fairly and whore abuses are found to adopt drastic measures to prevent them. If negototions between Messrs Borthwick and the council and ,the New Plymouth Borough Council end in business the committee recommend doing the best possible with .. the present plant until power from' that source is obtainable—probably two years. If terms are not arranged a new storage battery must be purchased. Thanks were tendered to Mr. B. Bartlay f»t nadnifig valuable

assistance, also to Mr. Johnson, the manager. The matter of New Plymouth area of supply was held over for further consideration. It was decided that no delegate be sent to the Muuicipul Conference. A letter from / the Napier Borough Council asking that Anzac Day be' made a statutory holiday was endorsed. The overseer's report was referred to the works committee. Cr. Buchanan spoke of the unsatisfactory s,tate of the sanitary service. The Mayor brought up the question of the town clerk's salary, and it was decided to grant him an increase of £25. Accounts amounting to £387 4s lOd were passed for payment. At a meeting of the Domain Board held after the council meeting it was decided that permission be granted to erect memorial gates at Camp Reserve, and that permission be granted ,to the football club to remove two or three trees if necessary. It was also carried that the football club be granted permission ,to erect i fence, at their own cost, on the eastern side of the football ground, with the proviso that they remove it after the football season if necessary.