IMPROVED CREDIT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 November 1928, Page 6

IMPROVED CREDIT.

POWER BOARD’S SATISFACTORY EXPERIENCE. The extent of the Power Board's operations with its consumers so far as installations, service lines and goods supplied are concerned, may be gathered from the following figures, stated the Secretary (Mr P. W. Goldsmith), in a report presented* to the Board on Tuesday:— Year ended. Total debits. Cash received. March 31st. £ £ v 1924 « 1,145 1,102 1925 20,567 7,678 1926 24,211 20,507 1927 8,980 12,53 a 1928 3,741 8/)77 To Oct. 31st. 1928 1,648 4,342 Totals ' £60,292 £54,839 From these figures, the Secretary added, it will be seen that the people of this district have expended w r ith the Board the sum of 60,000 in installing electricity. A very considerable suin' has also been expended for. .the same purpose through private contractors, by those who have had no financial transactions with the Board. Of the sum of £60,000 before mentioned, in round figures £54,000 has been, collected* and there is consequently £6OOO outstanding. The actual figures (to the end of October, 1928) are as follows:

Arrears March 31, 15)28 £8634/16 2 Charges and sales for 7 , months April to Oct. £1047 16 2 Total £10,282 4 Collected April-Oet. 1028 4342 1 10 Outstanding X 5940 10 6 Attention./to outstanding accounts has to he very constant, involving a good deal of correspondence together - with personal interviews. A few cases have to be handed over to the solicitors and a small proportion present features which make it very difficult to know what is the best course to pursue. Ou the whole, however, there is a better response than there has been for some considerable time.

Commenting on the report, the Chairman (Mr. G. A. Monk) said that, while he did not want it to be thought, after his remarks that there should be any slackening in the work of collection or in the efforts of those who had to pay, he considered that the position was very satisfactory in view of the times through which the district, as well as the Dominion, had passed in the last live or six years. Peopl e had spent,a little more in installations than they might have done had they been able to see ahead. There had been a period when £45,000 was spent by people in this district on installations. It was a probability that not quite so close an investigation had been made concerning the question whether people could afford Ijhe convenience, and that probably accounted for sonic, of those who had fallen into , sirrears. The installation, at the commencemcnt,. had been somewhat of a rush job. Everyone had wanted to come ou, and it was just possible that the consumer.-: and tlie Board had not been able to investigate what the subsequent events would be. However, seeing , that & liability of £60,000 had been, incurve i and that less than.£6ooo was owing.today, the position was satisfactory.