POWER BOARDS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20543, 11 May 1932, Page 6

POWER BOARDS.

SPRINGS-ELLESMERE. I A monthly mooting of the SpringsEllesmere Electric Power Board, held at Leeston on Monday, was attended by Messrs A. E. Langdale Hunt, G. Maginness, E. H. Powell, H. Noavo, and R. T. McMillan. At the statutory annual meeting Mr Langdale Hunt was unanimously reelected -chairman. Mr McMillan recommended that the rate for milking motors should be reduced from £3 to £2 per horsepower. The recommendation was adopted, and it was stated that if a number of new consumers were to link up the connected load charge could bo abolished. The Local Bodies Loans Board wrote approving the raising of a redemption loan of £16,000, the term ,to be 20 years, and the rate of interest five per cent. An application from Mr T. Glen to be relieved of his guarantee with respect to Rolleston properties was not granted, it being pointed out that theline barely paid its way. The engineer-secretary (Mr L. O. Vicarv) reported that the cost of current for the month was £837 12s 2d, as against £932 for the corresponding month of last year. Sales and installations for the month had amounted to £lO2 lis Bd. An exchange of poles with the Post and Telegraph Department had been arranged. Loan money was urgently required for extensions, and although the Board had several debentures on hand.they were unsaleable at the rate of interest allowed by the Loans Board. Reports from the lines foreman, Paparua supervisor, inspector, and Tai Tapu supervisor were considered and adopted.

NORTH CANTERBURY. A meeting of the North Canterbury Electric Power Board was held yesterday. Present: Messrs D. K, Hutchison (chairman), J. D. Wyllie, A. Baxter, A. M. Carpenter, H. Tallott, and G. Cowans. Mr A. Buckingham (engineor-secre-. tary), in his monthly report, detailed the work Carried out, the main items being the overhaul of the Coldstream line and the changing of defective erossarms and insulators on the Waikuku feeder. , The outside superintendent reported that the connected load for the month was 17,370 k.w. The secretary reported that financial assistance was granted to six consumers, and a number of consumers' guarantees were fixed. . At the conclusion of the meeting the annual general meeting "was held. The annual report. and balance-sheet were read and adopted. Members congratulated the engineer-secretary on the satisfactory report. Mr D. E. Hutchison Avas re-elected chairman. The whole of the Board was elected a Finance and Works Committee. The annual report of the engineersecretary, Mr A. Buckingham, stated that owing to economic conditions no effort had been made during the year to extend the Board's reticulation system to those districts lying south of the Eyre river, for which purpose a loan proposal for £13,200 was carried about IS months ago. On account of the limited new construction work carried out during the year the amount of fresh loan moneys raised had been small. The total loan money raised during the year was £10,750, comprising £2200 of the Board's construction loan and ! £8550 Kowai County electricity loans redemption loan. The total revenue for the year for the sale of power and incidentals amounted to £23,753, an increase of £346 over that for the previous year. The estimated expenditure at the beginning of the year was £23,400, and the actual expenditure £23,118. After making the full statutory provisions for depreciation, the net revenue account showed a debit balance on the year's working of £lslO. It was estimated that the expenditure for the year 1932-33 would be £23,888, including provision for depreciation, reserve. The estimate was analysed as follows: — Cost of power £ 7750, interest and sinking fund £8705, general operating expenses £5685, provision for depreciation £1748, total £23,888. The annual report of the outside superintendent, Mr J. C. Hancox, stated that the number of new consumers connected during the year was 60. The number of consumers at? March 31st, 1931, was 1574; the total of 60, less consumers disconnected, made the total number of consumers to date 1631. Bricks more than 3500 years old have been used in building a small railway (rtatioa in Mesopotamia,