ELECTRIC POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1942, Page 5

ELECTRIC POWER

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA BOARD. INCREASE IN REVENUE. (“Times-Age” Special.) A further satisfactory increase in revenue was disclosed by the September returns, reported Mr G. Brown, secretary-manager of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, at today’s meeting in Carterton. Although the increase in the cost of power for the Julv-Septembei- quarter was phenomenal on account of the earthquake, the increase in revenue during the quarter had more than compensated for this. The turnover in the trading department was substantially more than it was for the corresponding period last year. No doubt, the earthquake was partly responsible for that. The installation department was still very fully employed and was likely to be for some time, in spite of new restrictions. During September, two new consumers were connected to the system, making the total number of consumers 6,347, as compared with 6,250 twelve months ago. The connected load was increased by 398, kilowatts. Mr Brown stated that on September 24, a new building control order prohibited all new installation work except for certain specified essential purposes. The tapering off as far as the board was concerned would be gradual, as it had a lot of work to carry out which was authorised before the order cams into force. The restrictions in new wiring and in the manufacture of practically all appliances should more or less deal with the shortage of power question. After a month or two the increase in load will be comparatively small. A detailed report of the general engineering activities in September was presented by the chief engineer, Mr H. B. Keenan.