YEAR OF PROGRESS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXII, Issue 4642, 20 May 1938, Page 5

YEAR OF PROGRESS

WAIRERE POWER BOARD. RECORD ELECTRICITY SALES. NET PROFIT OF £504. After providing £2444 for interest on loans and £llls for sinking funds and instalment repayments, the Wairere Power Board showed a net profit for the year 1937-38 of £504. The sales of electricity increased from £5204 in 1936-37 to the record figure of £5777 for the past financial year, an increase of 11 per cent., of which the Awakino-Mokau extensions contributed only £lB9. These facts were reported by the secretary, Mr. S. J. Aston, to the annual meeting of the Board yesterday. The results compared more than favourably with all past records.

Mr. Aston stated that the trading department, which had netted a proTit of £174, representing 8 per cent, on turnover, had been more active than during any year since supply was first made available, while almost £13,000 had been spent on capital works during the year. After transferring £197 to bad debts reserve account, the balance to the net revenue account was now £IO7O.

To obtain the electricity sales revenue, 1,473,462 units were sold at an average return to the Board of .94d each. This figure could not be bettered by many supply authorities in the Dominion, including those of the cities, in spite of the fact that the Board had easily the lowest number of consumers per route mile of line. It was interesting to note that interest and loan charges absorbed 12s 4d of every pound of the Board's revenue, while the cost of power, including capital charges, required less than Is per'pound of revenue.

Lines and Power-house.

The chairman, Mr. R. Boddy, in his report, said that the plant had performed remarkably well under trying conditions during the last two years when worn parts had made their presence felt. A contract had been let for the erection of a weir at the top of the falls, and foundations of and extension to the power-house building to house the spare generating set, which was in order. He anticipated that the new plant would be installed during this winter in time to permit the overhaul of the present machine before' next milking season, provided the imported new parts arrived in time. When the programme was completed at the power house he considered that the needs of the district for some years to come would be provided for, and consumers could expect a far greater continuity of supply.

Some 34 route miles of new lines had been erected during the year, the principal extensions being from Mahoenui to Mokau, a branch line to the Mokau River settlers, and from Kohua Road to Mokauiti. The last two mentioned had been connected since the end of March, and -additional consumers to date numbered approximately 100, from whom - some £IBOO per annum had been guaranteed in revenue to the Board. In conjunction with this work, reconstruction of existing lines had been carried out between the power-house and Pio Pio, powerhouse to Mahoenui, and power-house to Mokauiti Road. The whole of the Board's Electricity Loan, 1936, of £17,000, had now been expended on the above, and also on the purchase of a new truck, the erection of a third staff house, and a new store. The Board had recently made application to the Loans Board for its sanction to the borrowing of a further' £14,000 loan—in instalments, as and when approved extensions' were required. Two works to be carried out of this latest loan are already finalised and will be commenced as soon as the loan is authorised.

One was to strengthen the main line to Troopers' Road ready for a large increase in the P.W.D. crushing plant there, and the other was an extension to the Ngatamahine Block for the Land Development Department's Small Farm Scheme.

Few Avenues for Reticulation.

It was to be noted that the Board had now reached the stage where there was little of its district left that may be economically reticulated. The average number of consumers per route mile of line was still three, and any proposition for extension involving a smaller number of consumers per route mile would need careful investigation before it could be approved. Mention was made in passing of the need for guarantors on the new extensions—particularly at Awakino and Mokau—to consider seriously the installation of extra electrical equipment, such as ranges, as a means of reaching their guaranteed annual payments. Nothing further had transpired regarding the position of the Ohura County in its efforts to obtain electricity.

The system of metering consumers' accounts was altered at the end of September last, which made it necessary to revise the domestic and commercial rates. The revision was ap-

parently very accurate, as there had been no appreciable increases or decreases in consumers' accounts under the new system, but the revised schedule of rates was far more satisfactory as it revealed the low charges made.

An alteration was being tried this year in the number of meter readings in the country districts. Accounts would be made up every second month this year, and the readings will be by the "card" system on four occasions, while the staff will actually read the meters twice during the year. No more work will fall on the outside staff in this connection, but the.office work will increase 50 per cent. It was felt that more regular —if smaller—payments of these accounts will be of benefit to both consumers and the Board.

Forty-eight extra transformers had been connected to the system, having a capacity of 408 k.v.a., and one stepup transformer for the power-house-Mokau line. Five transformer stations were dismantled, four being done away with by rearranging the low tension and the other from a dismantled line. Three of the old lines had been reconditioned, and the sooner the work was done on the rest of the lines the lighter should be the maintenance charge for the future.