PETONE-HUTT GAS BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 138, 15 June 1927, Page 5

PETONE-HUTT GAS BOARD

The monthly meeting of the Pctonc arid Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board was held last evening. Present: Mr. W. G. Lodder (chairman) ijnd Messrs. C. P. Brockelbank, W. 6. Meldium, S. Clendon, W. T. Strand, J. Piper, and V. Jacobson.

The Bank of New Zealand advised an increase of' the overdraft interest rates from 6% to 7 per cent.

The lower Hutt Gala Committee asked the board i; it could remit the amount of its accoun';—£7 15s—for installing gaa coppers at the gala. It was decided to reduce the amount to £5, Mr. Piper protesting against the reduction.

In reply to a consumer who complained of the board's accounts arriving late in the month and being overlooked to the loss by the consumer of the discount, and who asked if a consumer could pay in a lump gum to cover several months' consumption, the board said that it would be pleased to accept a lump sum.

The gasworks manager reported that 8,004,300 cubic feet had been . manufactured, being an average make of 14,151 cubic feet per ton. The calorific value was 499 B.Th. units. There had been an increased make over that of May, 1926, of 170,400 cubic feet. The manager verbally reported that the board had for the first tinie reached a manufacture o£ over eight million feet per month. The coke and tar sales for the month had been 153 tons and 5846 gallons respectively. There had been 52 new services and 52 new cookers installed. •

It was decided to install a booster on the six-inch main in Petone to increase the pressure.

The treasurer (Mr. W. T. Sturman) presented the balance-sheet for the past year, which showed that a gross profit of £6205 had been earned by the board after allowing for a sinking fund reserve of £4027 and a "write off" of £2365 for depreciation o£ plant. After the interest account had been paid a net revenue o£ over £2000 for the year was disclosed, and this amount, added to previous profits made by the board since its inception, makes a grand total of £10,954. Members considered that the position was exceedingly satisfactory.