POWER CHARGES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 June 1929, Page 6

POWER CHARGES.

«<>. CONCESSION FOR LARGE SCALE LIGHTING. RAILWAY DEPARTMENT THE PRESENT BENEFICIARY. REDUCTIONS FOR Fi RE SIRENS AND MILIvINCJ- .MOTORS. Reductions in certain rates charged to consumers were decided on by the Horowhenua Power Board, at its meeting on Tuesday. The special committee set up to consider I lie matter reported as follows; PROPOSED RATES AND REDUCTIONS. Paekakariki Railway Station: Tim charges to the Railway Department for lighting were very carefully considered. The present rates arc 8d per unit for the first 150 units per month, and for all units used in excess of 150 units, the rate is 6cl per unit. On these rates the. Railway Department asked for a reduction. The total number of links used at the Paekakariki Station for the twelve months was 14,7.0.0, the amount paid being £389 10s (id—an average of (5.24 d. per unit. The Committee endeavoured to frame a charge which would give a, fair concession on the present rates. Various proposals were eventually brought clown to two —viz,: Rate A—--Ist 150 units per month 8d per unit; 2nd 150 units per month, (id per uni'; All over 300 units p.m. 5d per unit.

On the basis of this “A” rale, on last year’s consumption the Railway would have paid the Board £338 (is ,'!d, a concession of £4(i 13s 3d for ihe year, equal to an average rate of 0.48 d per unit. Kate ‘ ‘ B ’ ’ — Ist lot) units per month <Sd per unit; All over 130 units per month, 3d per unit. , If this B rate had been in operation last year, it would have meant a concession to the Railway of lot 3s 3d, or 5.30 d per unit. A few other large con sinners would have beneliled a little by this rate. The Committee in commended, that .the new lighting rate for Ihe N.Z. Railways and large consumers be as set out. in “Kale A,” (o be effective as from the beginning of the present, financial year. OTAKi FIRK BOARD. The request from the Otaki Fire Board for a reduction in ordinary rates for power used for the electric siren motor, was considered by the committee which recomend-’d that the ordinary charge for this service be reduced to a Hat rate cf £1 pe.r annum. .MILKING MOTORS. In refeience : o the charge tor power for milking motors, it was decided to recommend to the Board, that, after the third bi-monthly payment of the present financial year, the rate of; d.-Jd per unit- for the first 100 units per month, be reduced by one half-penny per unit ,to 4d per unit for the first 100 units per month. The rates for further units used to -be as at [.resent — viz., for tli. 1 second 100 units 3d per unit, all over 200 units per month 2d per unit.

largest consumers' fob. LIGHTING. The fclloA\ing return was tabled sho.ving the largest consumers of curic*nt for lighting for the twelve months ended March, .‘list, 1929; N.Z. .Railways — Units. I’aekakuribi: Loco. Dept. .. 99(51 Traffic Dcparlmenr 7838 14,799 14,799 units cost £384 19 0 Shannon; lull units .. 50 0 (i Otaki: 2098 units (partly estimated) .... 09 18. 4 £504 IS 4 Average for Paekakariki, G.24d per unit; lor the three stations, (J.sßd per unit. Other Users. —Otaki Sanatorium 5852 units, Do Luxe Theatre 3028. Grand Hotel, Levin, 2082, W.M. Clark Ltd. 1854, Jubilee Hotel, Otaki 117(5, Theatre, Otaki, 1108; C. M. Boss and Co., Ltd., Levin, 955; W. Kirkland, Foxtou, 854; Wilkinson and Hyde, Shannon,sßl units. , ■

Mr Blenkliorr. moved and the Chairman seconded that lighting rate A be adopted. The Chairman stated that this was the decision of the Committee by his casting vote; it was desired to retain the charge of 8d a unit for a certain number unmber of units, and he had not thought it Avise to drop the subsequent (3d charge. Apparently the proposal did not benefit anybody but the Railway Department at present, as the Sanatorium lighting would bo divided. Mr Vincent said he di.l not see that there was any parlicular virtue attaching to the 6d iate. The Chairman: Only that it is more than sd. Mr Vincent said that the reason why he preferred the B rate was that it would give a little concession to the large users. People who were paying £3 a Aveek for lighting Avore entitled to some consideration. The Chairman: Tho Otaki Sanatorium is losing a certain amount of its lighting. The hospital is taken over by another authority Mr Vincent: The B, rate is also simpler than the other. We have enough complicated returns as it is. Mr Seifert said that, as a member of the Committee, he had thought that the B rate was nice and simple) and it would certainly have brought one" or lavo of tho Beard’s large consumers into the 5d rate; he thought they wore deserving. It Avould also do away with tho complication of three charges. Perhaps there would be extra consumption that would make up for the concession. /Mr Vincent said that, as near as could be ascertained, the B rate would mean a reduction of about £75 a year over alb Mr 'Morse suggested that in ’ho A rale the minimum of 150 units be roduet’d to 100. The chairman replied that the reduction proposed by means of the A rate would just about take the Board as fains it could go this year. The estimate* provided for a credit balance of £575, and the proposed reductions would ab-

sorb £SOO of it. Probably the estimates <>f income wit* framed on the conservative side. The question of a reduction to 300 units had not been considered bv the committee.

Mr Morse said that the reason why he had brought the point up was that the committee .had deal.; with the rate principally to serve Government cousmnei'M, who were practically new consumers, The olheiH named in the list were old rniintiiinnn, who had been (|al<iiiig .v.iii mom ((rae.iiii’ally since the inception of I lif- Gourd, and he thought tli/ll I liny dne for M/iiii concession.

Nil) Ihilli')-; heroic being pot into operation* I think it ought to be referred tool; fi, ‘hr- '■'ou.iOl/M),, go lllln I hoi oilgl) jy, The ( Uni iilnn o ; VV <■ cannot say what effect it would 'have to induce the minimum |o IbM, j don’t think that the (inaiMO'f! of the lioard jdst Hi pres nit could rdand il, Mr .Seifert: I Shiah if, would be risky In make a reduction to that r« ten I until w<* have ~;een fhe effect, of Ihe present proposal. I think it would, be just a little lin mill li, The ('hai iimi a; We can liin'i nut. for the in I ormat ion of lac lioard. Mr Morse: I would Tie v* ry glad, and a(, some fii(ii.re time would bring it forward.

.Mr Hlenkhoni said that, as I hr mover of Die motion, he approved Inc principle, and Iliac was, in the main, whaf they had to loo); al. The palmy of the Hoard was, when 1 passible, to irdm"' the charges. lie did not, thin);, however, i hat- if would hr a '.vise policy to main l the (i rs |, step in that Hir'd ion a very long one. No doubt I hear rates would be considered from lime ta time and the noli.'y that the Hoard had now established would be worked on: Mia I. was, Mia), w.ien the time arrived- —and they hoped and thought.. it. was in the not very distant future- further n • (Inctimis should be made; then the other consumers, who did not take .-o much ai the Oovernment- establishments, would reap the benefit. Tin; commilte' had quite an open mind on the matter. lie recognised that (his move was in the mature of an • ■xperimciit; but- what the Hoard had brought under the notice of the public, was that. It was out. to make reductions where possible, but that those redac. lions had to very carefully considered before tne Hoard could go very fa r.

The moldon to adopt Rate A w.es f-;i;■ ried on I lie voii-i's. cfrrfnt for firm sirlns.

(,o the recommendation that tlic charge t.) 1 Ij f Otakj, Flic 'Board for power for the tireii motor lie reduced to a ilat rate of £1 per annum, the Chairman slatted tliat t!io rale was previously £3. The new rate would apply to all Fire Boards operating electric sirens in the power district. The Committee had felt teat the operations of Fire Brigades were of very great advantage to this Board, which had some thousands of pounds’ worth of material, such' as the service lines and the meters installed .m buildings. This Board looke 1 to the Brigades for protection, and with their help and an efficient water saipply there would be less prospect of looses. The Chairman moved the adoption, of the recommendation.

■ The motion was seconded by Mr Morse, and carried. In moving the 'Manso for the reduction of charges for milking motors, Mr Vincent said his main object in doing so was that the proposal" would bring ihe charges iiPo line with the rest of ■the commercial rates in the Beard’s area. Some years ago the dairying people were given a promise that, as soon as possible, their .rates Avould be reduced. The Chairman slated that this was an unanimous decision of the Committee and was in fulfilment of a promise to the dairying industry. It was probably going to cost the Board over £4OO a year, but it was one of the reductions towards the making of whic|i the .Board had been looking forward for some time. The dairying industry was fast becoming, to a very large extent, the backbone of the Board’s system, and was one of the things that would ,be with them always. The rare Avas iioaa’* biought on a par Avith that of the small industrial motor. The reason for the extra |d per unit charged to tho dairyman in the past was that it was Considered that nc used his motor night and me ruing only, and not ali day like rndiistrial users. However, \most of the industrial motors in the district .ran intermittently, and in some cases they might be out of use for a few dayC. The dairy motor lan regularly. The motion, which was seconded InMr Barber, Avar carried. #