LIGHT AND POWER

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 October 1930, Page 4

LIGHT AND POWER

SOUTH TARANAKI SCHEME

PROGRESS OUTLINED

In a statement reviewing briefly the eleven and! aJ-hialf months rip to the Cnrl) .of September since the South Taranaki Electric. Power Board acquired the undertaking from the company cointrollinig it formerly, the board, chairman, Mr Jj £BL; Murdoch,, expresses satisfaction, iwitth ■ the progress made both from the point of view of the engineering work ’accomplished and the financial results. ‘ ‘ Construci/iomJal work commenced with extensions at Whenuku and Austin Roads a month or two after the board took over the- undertaking,” states Mr Murdoch. “Since thiat time the following work ha’s been completed up to October: Forty-five miles of FLOW) volt lines, twenty-six miles of 400 volt 'lines and thirty-three transformers erected. Additional installations have been: 63 milking machine motors, 46 field pumps, 50 water-heaters, 22 electric ranges and 297 lighting and other consumers. This is up to the end of September. Other consumers in the Wainnate area are being added in | October.

“The power. house plant has been kept in repair while the 500 h.,p. Diesel engine lias kadi a thorough overhaul. “(Street lighting for the Hawera Borough Council is now going ahead; also three adddtion'al transformers are being provided for within the borough area in order to improve the service when additional power is available. Hitherto the borough 'has been practically ail on one transformer. “The Public Works Department is pushing on, (with its part of the work in building .the extra high tension line from Wanganui to New Plymouth. The main substation site for the district has been purchased and deliveries of poles and siueb material are likely to be made verv soon.

“The board ’a _ policy of improving the service to existing consumers of electricity and extending the power service to the capacity of the generating station l to new areas is being carried out. With regard to the board’s outer area, these will be served as soon as we can obtain 'the current from the Government. We have pressed for this supply since November-, 1929, and I think it will be here for certain next M-ay or June. ’ ’

■Referring t.o the financial position, Mr Murdoch points e,ut that the board’s accounts wero published as at March 31 last and showed, for the five and a-half months of operation, a net 'profit of £2500' after making provision for interest and sinking fund charges and depreciation. Of this amount £ISOO was placed l to reserve and the balance carried forward to the present financial year..

‘The half-yearly accounts to September 30 show that the results of operation® have been very gratifying ’ ’ continues Mr Murdoch. ‘‘The actual revenue has exceeded the board’s estimate :by £2OOO, whereas the actual expenditure rwas below estimated expenditure by £ISOO. The trading account shows a very satisfactory profit.”

Referring to loan moneys, Mr Murdoch explains that the amount authorised by the ratepayers (Was £187.500, but of that .amount only £164,500" has yet been raised, leaving ample money available for .further expansion of the system. ‘‘This is very- .satisfactory When it is considered 'that the programme of reticulation in the Waimate West area has been practically completed,” he continues. In other words, the board has substantially completed CO" gramme and has a balance of £-.0,000 of Jean money still not raised. ’ ’