TARANAKI POWER BOARD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 June 1928, Page 7

TARANAKI POWER BOARD.

WORK FOR THE MONTH. There were present at the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Electric Rower Board, held at Eltham. yesterday: Messrs H. G. Carman (chairman), L\ E. McGuinneiss, W. LI. Were. T. R. Anderson, and J. T. Belcher. Leave f abseuoj was granted to. Messrs R. J. Kmickev. J. Dobson and C. Foreman. Al ■ V. H. Newson, Taylor Street, Elthain. wrote offering his services as full me • ■■secretary' to the board! at a salary of £325 per annum.—lt was explained that the writer had asked for «. 50-50 arrangement in connect tion with liis rate account. 50 per cent, to be paid by ..services to the board. —It was resolved that Mr Newson be advised that the board is not at present inviting applications for th|3 .position of secretary. RESIDENT ENGINEER’S REPORT. The resident engineer (Mr B. H. Goldsmith) reported as follows on the month’s operations:—

The number of consumers to date is 1574 and IS further installations are authorised. Units generated during May total 506,400. and the maximum, demand of 2304 k.w. for the month •occurred on the 28th. The largest daily output was 35,600 on the first day of the month. Installations carried out durin<r the month bv the house-wirinoi department are as follows:—Milking motors o; other motors, 2; water heaters, 10; stoves. 4: lighting and heating, 26; miscellaneous, 6. Installations ware carried out by private contractors .as follows: —Milking motors, 4; water heaters, 3; stoves, 1; lighting and heating, 7; miscellaneous, 6.

Reticulation report. —AVork ha© been carried .out as under: —The AVaitui line has been completed and services to consumers, as required, have been run. Two transformers are required to compete this road. The line to Standing’s mill, off Bristol Road, ha® been erected and is neady for use. The low tension line in Kent Terrace, Midhinst, has been erected, and l is ready for livening. A ishort line hais been >3rectod in Bird Read to supply a news transformer, made necessary by increase in load. New lines in Duthie and Hunter Rond have been livened up. All the earths throughout the dis-; trict have been tested, and, where necessary. improved. All line materia.' Iwv* been removed' and stored in EJtibam.

CONSULTING ENGINEER ’S REPORT. Mr R. H. Climie, consulting engineer, reported that work is progressing satisfaction I v in opening up the outlet end of the Mangaoteaj tunnel. Much faster progress has been made than hitherto, jwing to 'ess timber being encountered. A start has been made to extend the reconditioning of the core in the Ratadko dam at the. point where work was Hooped last year. To facilitate this work, the lake level has been drawn down. TEN PER. CENT PENALTY.

The chairman said he did not-favour imposing the ten per cent, penalty on overdue rates this year. The board should fix a date for payment, and if the rates were not then paid, the board should sue for them. The hoard was not particularly after the ratepayers in poor circumstances, but the big man who held of!' until just before the imposition of the penalty to. avoid, paying bank interest. He did not want to penalise people who were already paying a heavy rate.

After discussion it was resolved that all,l rates not paid or not satisfactorily arranged for by September 1 wall be sued for. BA I,ANOEhSHEETS . The balance-sheets for 1925-26 and 1926-27 were received from the audit office with bags in reference to stores. The question, of affording ratepayers an opportunity of inspecting the bal-ance-sheets was discussed and it was resolved that quotations for printing l>e invited and submitted to the next meeting of the board. Mr Anderson favoured printing the balance-sheets and making them available to the public. The board, he said, had been charged with keeping its business secret, -and as there was nothing to be ashamed of, he though every opportunity should be given the ratepayers to .see what, the board was doing. "THE AVAILABILITY BATE Notice of intention to- strike an availability rate of 2d in the £, as tor last year was given by Mr Anderson.

FINANCIAL STATEGM ENTS The Finance Committee reported on various ,arn-omits ns follows-: Loan Aooonnts. —Receipts, £4228 7s sd; dehit 'last month, £IBB9 Is Id; refunds, ss; accounts to pass, £1966 l2s 2d (£3795 19s 3d); credit, £132 8s 2d. Stratford Loan Account. —■ Oredit last meeting, £595 l,s sd. Power Fund Account. Receipts, .£5490 7s 7d; debit last meeting, £303 ,ls 6d; accounts to pa,ss, £2995 16s Id; advance to loan account, £2OOO (£5298 19s 9d); credit, £l9l 7s lOd. Accounts amounting to £4902 8s 3d were passed for payment. It was resolved that in future payment,:; other than loan expenditure oe made through the power fund accounts,, and that adjustments between the two accounts be made and finalised as at June 30, 1928, and thereafter monthly. In regard to an extension of lines to connect up Mr" Marshall's house and milking shed (Junction Road, Inglewood), costing £2OO, the engineer is to be advised that the work has been approved subject to a guarantee of £3O per annum for five yeans. ESTIMATES FOR 1925-1929. The estimates, as follows, were adopted : Expenditure.—Bank overdraft £2387 ;