The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1925 MAKING USE OF ELECTRICITY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XLIX, Issue 5121, 17 November 1925, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1925 MAKING USE OF ELECTRICITY.

The proposal to link up the whole of Banks Peninsula wiLh the electrical supply from Lake Coleridge was completed some years ago, and although it was carried out at a

much greater cost than the original estimates as material at the time .was at its peak prices, yet we have a very complete and efficient system with only a few isolated areas cut . out of the reticulation. Critics of the scheme a few years ago predict - Icd an absolute failure, as far as

. revenue meeting running cost was concerned : but. fortunately, this j has not taken place, ar.d we are ; pleased to state that although the i Power Beard are watching their .reticulation lines most caicfuUy and : eleminating the weak spots at a j fairly heavy co.-t in pol, s, the | Board's revenue is gradually rising, j Tins di licit b'tw.en revenue and Illuming cost we > ah'til I'loo last I year, which was met by a rate over 'the f.liter and letici'latrd arras of j the Board's distiict, and will have : to be so met until the deficit di.-ap-I pears. It is veiy stratifying to lind. ; however, thai th- electrical scheme lis receiving g"od support. and last j year a! >ne, owing to the go: d work ! done by ihe engineo", Mr F. A. ! I.ewthwaite, ar.d his stall', there was j actually a gain in revenue of nearly |.!;inon for the year, This was good j business, and this increase will soon. I we hope, relieve those outside rate- ■ payors who at pre.-enf have to pay 1 a small >'ate and gel no service, j'l ho advantages of electrical powe 1 ' ' will be realised, we hope, in this J district quickly, ar.d when they are we will have no anxiety about our j electrical scheme, because if il is fused, as it can be us; d, with adj vantage to the consumers, then j there will be no necessity to late .at all. Electiic cooking is going to | prove the salvation of Ihe scheme, because every year it becomes increasingly difficult to get wood fuel, while the haulage on coal or any other fuel in most parts of the Peni insula is prohibitive. The ordinary j household can get all its cooking ! and water heating done for about ■ a yea'', that is an average family. and we doubt if many people j hilly rea'ise that it svuid be 'runi (H)iy on their part to us ■■ eieeirie cooking rather than gather wood, ; cut it up. ami I'c d il into a stove. fil fact, we are -lire that later on j ( lectric cooking is going to be a i real boon to many people, simply because other fuel will be out of the question. When electric cooking is used to its full extent on this Peninsula, then there will be nothing to worry about as far as the electrical scheme is concerned.

The in:>st important fact about the present deficit in revenue is that whereas the latepayers arc paying rates and getting nothing in return, if they extended their use of electricity they would be getting something for their outlay. It stands to reason, therefore, that it is far better to get the use of the system by using clectiical appliances. The u;.e of these appliances is past its elementary stage, and they come down to the every day user, because they are clean, efficient, and economical. It behoves every user of current on Banks Peninsula to go fully into the matter and to use current advantageously for himself ai:d the whole system. If everyone were to do this it would not be long before our electrical scheme would be a self supporting scheme. We are over our worst years, the initial years of our scheme, and can look forward confidently to cheaper rates and a wider and more efficient clectiical system if we only make use of the great advantages that electricity offers on the farm, in the household, and factory,