ELECTRIC RETICULATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 5 May 1926, Page 10

ELECTRIC RETICULATION.

THAMES VALLEY PROGRESS. fFrom Our Own Correspondent.) MOKRINSVILLE, Tuesday. At a meeting held last evening for the purpose of explaining the Thames Valley Electric Power Board's loan proposal to borrow a further £150,000, the chairman of the board (Mr. F. H. Clas.--ton), gave an interesting review of the operations of the board since its inception. Mr. Claxton stated that since the constitution of the board in January, 1020, over an area of 2300 square miles, the total loans raised amounted to £700,000, of which £16,000 was so far unexpended. The interest and sinking fund on these loans could be paid out of revenue without striking a rate. The expenditure included the erection of 1343 circuit miles of service lines which necessitated the use of 4200 miles of overhead wire and cable. Approximately 25.000 poles had been used, and 317 transformers. Since 1923 the units purchased from the Government had increased from 3,785,000 to 14,00.0,000 for the past year. The total receipts had grown from" £27,05S in 1922 to £119,278 for the past year. The board's present connected road«>included 1422 2horse power milking motors and 100 other motors, 682 water heaters, a total of 5531 consumers, including those in Thames and Te Aroha boroughs. For the past year a total of 13,500,0001b of butterfat was produced on farms on which electric milking motors were used. The next profit from the trading department last year was £5312, there being a fotal surplus since 1920 of £30,000. Of this amount, £15.000 had been used to make up deficiencies on the sale of electricity. A motion of confidence in the board was carried unanimously, a motion of appreciation of the services of the board's chairman (Mr. Claxton), who was shortly retiring, being received with applause.