HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

Manawatu Herald, Volume LV, Issue 4521, 23 July 1935, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board, was held in Levin this morning, presided over by Mr G. A. Monk (Chairman). Also present were Messrs \\. E. Barber' J. K. Hornblow, T. G. Vincent, J. Richards, A. E. Hyde, C. Keedwell and Vickerman.

TREASURER’S REPORT. The Treasurer (Mr F. J. Ramsay) reported as follows: The following is a statement of the revenue earned for the first quarter of this year with the corresponding figures for the same period last year in parenthesis. “Lighting. — Domestic: 98,G68 units,3lsl; (95,G2G units, £3030); increase £lls. Commercial: 54,023 units, £1638; (49,500; £1528); increase £llO. -a

“Heating.— Domestic: 323,G95 units, £2359; (309,468; £2210); increase £149. Commercial: 55,046 units, £403; (16,738; £412); decrease £9.

“P0wer.— 450,889 units, £3487; (333,643; £2860); increase £577. “Water-heating: £1417; (£1356), increase £6l. 1 “Street Lighting. —£321; (£321). “Less Discounts. —£12,726; £ll,723; increase £IOO3. “Totals. — £11,616 ; (£10,648); increase £968.

“The statement shows the net revenue earned for the quarter to be £11,616, which is an increase of £968 over last year. The main increases are, Power £5//, Domestic Lighting and Heating £264, Commercial Lighting £llO. The total increase in unit sales bv meter was 137,540; a very satisfactory feature of this being the increase in domestic units, 17,269. Against the advance in revenue, however, must be set the additional cost of bulk power, £6BO. This rise is mainly due to additional industrial load put on last quarter which, of course, has its reflection in the large quarterly accounts. These show an increase of nearly £6OO over the same quarter fast year. The net result of the first quarter’s sales is an advance of approximately £3OO, which is, I think, quite satisfactory. “Sundry debtors.—The total at last balance was £4,953 current accounts £4,159, hire purchase £794. The current accounts are up a little on last month, but less than for the same month last year.

“Load Building Campaign.—The circulars introducing the new Domestic rate are in the hands of the printers and will be available for delivery commencing with the readings in the Southern area on Auggust Ist. It is my intention to follow these circulars with some newspaper advertising. Later on in the year, displays of ranges will he arranged in four or five places in our district together with cooking demonstrations. Although the sales campaign has really not yet been launched, the response to casual canvassing by members of the staff, has been most encouraging.” ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer reported as follows :

“Curing the period 18 new service lines have been run, 42 polos carted out, fitted, and erected, and 451 chains of wire run out. One outdoor substation has been built, “New consumers, increased loading, and rearrangement of L.T. circuits in the vicinity of the Waitohu Valley Road, made it necessary for the installation of a transformer on that road to serve the area. A short' E.H.T. line has been erected from the Main South Line, and 48 chains of L.T. line has been erected for this purpose. “Extra and heavier cables have been run on Bristol Street, Levin, on account of increased loading, and a short extension of L.T. has been made at Foxton Beach. A 125 k.v.a. transformer has been reinstalled at Whitannui Mill Sub. in view of this mill staiting operations immediately. Owing to continual rain experienced last month, it was necessary to move two E.H.T. poles on-Mntatun Road, Raumati, on account of cutting banks falling away. During the morning of the 10th instant, a flodk of swans flew into the 11,000 volt line, about the centre of the flooded area north of the Whii’okino Bridge, causing the three wires to burn through and come down into the water. This caused a short interruption to the Foxton and a portion of the Levin supply, till the faulty section was isolated. As there was between four and five feet of water at the spot where the break occurred, repair's had to be effected, and a new span of wires put in, by the use of boats. An isolating • switch has been installed on the north side of the river, to enable this section of line, which has no consumers on it, to be made dead during periods of flooding. Two transformers have been changed for reconditioning. “Installations.—During the period 22 applications have been received from new’consumers, and 25 for extensions tp existing installations, included in which are 4 ranges, fi water-heaters, 4 milking, 3 separator, 1 pumping and 2 industrial motors. Eighteen new consumers, and 31 extensions have been connected, comprising 14 lighting and heating installations, 3 ranges, 4 water-heaters, 3 milking, 4 separator, and 4 industrial motors, 2 incubators, and 17 heating points, a total increase of 81,073 k.w.

“General. —Some person or persons gained entrance to the Huia Flaxmill, Foxton, which has been temporarily closed, and breaking seals and taking off the cover of one of the Board’s polyphase meters, to oik the parts out and stole the four coils belonging to it. They also took a coil off the motor starter belonging to Messrs Ross,

Rough and Co. The matter is now in the hands of the police, who I hope, will be successful in their investigations. “I would ask for authority to purchase three transformers required, 75, 100, and 125 k.v.a. at a cost of £319.”