TRAMWAYS AND POWER

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 61, 9 September 1921, Page 4

TRAMWAYS AND POWER

INCREASED WpRKING EXPENSES

MANAGER'S ANNUAL REPORT.

' TiTe annual report of the General Manager of the City Tramways (Mr. W. H. Morton) has been published. It shows a net debit balance for the year in the tramways and power supply undertaking of £1280. The principal figures, compared with the previous year, are as follow:— c TRAMWAYS, . ' ■ £ £ Revenue .< 347,685 Inc. 70,608 Working expanses .. 289,320 Inc. 79,890 Capital charges .... 51,892 Inc. 6,060 i Credit balances .... 6,483 Dec. 15,342 x POWER SUPPLY.; j ' £ £ Revenue 32,884 Inc. 6,215 Working expenses.. 29,634 Inc. 11,671 Capital charges 7,762 Inc. 630 Debit balance 4,512 Credit balance — Dec. 6,085 i APPROPRIATION ACCOUNT. v ' £ Depit balance from Power Supply j Revenue Account 4,512 Add special expenditure chargeable to revenue, and amount written off preliminary expenses '„...... 3,251

£7,763 Deduct credit balance from Tram- . way Revenue Account 6,483 . Net debit balance'for year 1,280 RENEWAL AND RESERVE FUNDS. I The report states: "The amount to fihe ! credit of the renewal fund ' account at 31st March, 1921, wa5,£74,342. Of this amount £53,791 was on fixed deposit ait the Union Bank of Australia, Ltd., £7942 was in the bank on current account, and the balance, £12,609, is the year's appropriation from revenue, paya6le to the commissioners within the month of Aipril, 1921. During the year an amount of .£10,928 was expended in relaying tracks ,in Courtenay-place and Larribtoivquay, and on renewals, of electrical plant in the power station. In my previous annual report I stated: 'The amounlt set aside each year is in accordance with statute, being one and a-3ialf per centum of the value of (he, depreciable «£9e.ts of the undertaking, and that in view of the greatly increased cost of labour and materials, 'careful consideration should now foe given to the question of obtaining {^amendment of the statute.. in the direction of*lncreased •provision from revenue for renewals.' The Renewal Fund- Commissioners; in a communication to the Tramways Committee in May, 1920, also questioned the ndeqnaoy of tdie /provision for. renewals, in fac« of the altered conditions. I would urge, therefore, that this important question should now receive consideration by the committee.,' ;■■•,' ".I "The amount of the reserve fund account now stands in the balance-sheet at £46,311. 'Of this amount, £26,473 has been expended on new works; £7229 is in the bank on current account, and the balance, £12,609, represents the.year's appropriation from revenue, payable into' the fund within the month of April, 1921. . ( . , „ ■•'. ■ "Th;e amount to the credit of the accident fund at 31st ;. March, .1921. wasg £19,093. * Of this amount., £4000 is. invested'in War 'Loan''Certificates, and the bajan'ce, £15,093, was 'in cash at the bank at the close of the financial year. . "The tramways {comprising' city, Karori^ and Miramar)1 power ■ supply and public lighting- sinkina funds now total £121,322. the.whole; of which .sum is represented by investments and oash in hands of commissioners. CAPITAL ACCOUNT. " The expenditure on new works during the year amounted to £36,697. After allowing for the annual writingdown of 'preliminary expenses' and the incorporation of the Karori and Miramar tramways in the city accounts, the capital account "Has been increased by £107,312. The total capital expenditure as at 31st March, 1921, amounted to £973 ; 533. • ■ NEW CARS BUILT: "The number of passenger cars in stock was increased to 131 by the construction of ten cars at the Newtown ■workshops during the year ended 31st March, 1921. In addition to the passenger cars, there, were three general service cars, two freight cars, and a track sprinkler in stock, giving a total of 137 electrically equipped cars. Orders were placed during the past year for the necessary material \ and equipment for another twelve c&rs, and considerable progress had been made with the construction of the bodies by 31st March last. .■'■•' "The whole of the available car 3hed accommodation was absorbed by the cars constructed last year, and it is therefore imperative that the extensions to the shed at Kilbirnie should be put in hand as early as possible, so that housing and pit facilities may be available for the cars now in course of construction; otherwise it will be necessary to leave a number of cars outside in all weathers. As pointed out in previous reports, .the workshops at Newtown and machine I tools installed there are becoming inadequate for dealing efficiently with the repairs to the rolling stock, and it is therefore to be hoped that loan money will soon be available for the erection and equipment of the proposed shops alongside the car shed at \Kilbirnie. With up-to-date shops and machine tools, tho overhauling of the cars will be carried out. more expedittously and economically than at present. ■ j POWER SUPPLY. "At 31st March, .1921, there were 418 consumers connected to the 500-volf direct current system, with a motor capacity aggregating 6622' horse-power, and the units supplied to these connections during the year amounted to I 2,574,356. It is evident from the number of applications forthcoming, and inquiries instituted by prospective consumers, that the private power load will reach substantial proportions immediately the department is in a position to grant all applications, and to allow unrestricted use of the supply.