ELECTRICAL POWER

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1038, 10 June 1924, Page 2

ELECTRICAL POWER

CHARGES EXPLAINED At RONGOTEA MEETING. OPPOSITION VANISHES. In deference to the expressed wishes of some dairy farmers in the" Rongotea district, representatives of the ManawatuOroua Power Board journeyed last night to Rongotea with the object of explaining the basis of the board's charges for current for milking motors, there having been sbtlie dissatisfaction expressed in certain quarters at the flat rate of £5 per horse-power, in addition to u unit, charge* to be levied in this connection. 'Hie parly comprised the chalrinan of the hoard'. Mr J\ A. Nash, M P , Messrs J. Linklflter, M.P., and M. A, Kliott (members) and Mr \V, A. "Waters (chief engineer). Mr A. C. Dear, chairman of the Rongotea branch of the Farmers' Union, presided over tile meeting, which was held at the hall, and welcomed the board's representatives. * CHARGES ALREADY FIXED. Mr Nash briefly informed the meeting that Mr Waters would explain the matters in question, and expressed his pleasure at the action of the fanners in requesting the board's representatives to address a meeting at Rongotea. He felt sure that, at the conclusion of the address, the local residents Would be assured of the fact—and it was such—that they wore getting a square deal. "I think I can say that the Malia-watu-Oroua Power Hoard is one of the best in New Zealand. We arc fortunate in having such very line agricultural, pastoral ( and dairying "lands in the board's district, ' he stated. The estimated cost of the board's construction work had been stated at the outset of its operations to be £S(jO,OQO, but there had been a little delay in starting, prices falling 111 the interim, and the board had actually to raise only £400,000. "That is a large amount of money, but it is going to be expended to the great benefit of the district,'' he continued. In Mr Waters the board had on exceedingly competent man who knew his work thoroughly, stated Mr Nash. A groat many prospective consumers were now eagerly asking to be linked up, but if Rongotea was going to demur the board might have to attend to some other quarters of its district before completing this section, and it did not want to do thi*t. Mr Hunt, Rongotea's representative on the board, had been very persistent in asking that Rongotea be reticulated as soon as possible, and the board hod readily agreed to an address being delivered at the township, where current would, he! assured .them, be available, for milking next seuson. However, in regard to the contentious matter the board had fixed its charges and could not deviate from them. INTEREST IN ELECTRIC POWER. "I am very pleased to see so many here to-night—it shows that you are taking an interest in hydro-electricity," said Mr Linklatcr. He expressed his sympathy with the fanners in seeking to secure power and lighting current at the most reasonable price possible. Mr Kliott also briefly addressed the gathoring) stating thut he thought much more could be done through the medium Of an address in clearing up the position than, by means of voluminous correspondence. "CHEAPEST IN NEW ZEALAND." Prior to commencing his address proper, Mr Waters briefly referred to some of the things' which the board had already done in the intorosts of the farmers. Inter alia, he said that, by judicious purchasing in quantities, the board could supply electric 2 h.p. motors for £l2 10s—the cheapest in New Zealand. These motor?, he had told them on the occasion of the initial campaign, were expected to cost £27. He had said that he would endeavour to secure thorn for £lB, but'even that price had been lowered. All along the board had cheapened the cost of the current and of electrical wiring to consumers in a very substantial manner. Provision had even been made for a car, wtih « spare electric motor, to be ready at any tune of the day or night to proceed anywhere whore a defect might develop and remedy it immediately. Mr Waters proceeded td mention that remarks had been published about (he fact that the cliargo for current for cooking was ljjd per unit, while that for power fol' electric motors for milking was lighter. Well, he ventured to state that, in 10 years' time, 80 per cent, of farmers' wives would be cooking by electricity as being cheaper than fuel, and the farmers' wives were entitled to consideration. At any rate ljd per unit was equal to gas at 7s 6d per 1000 feet. It had been proved by actual test in Australia that, wheieas cooking by gas at 8s per 1000 feet for a family of five or seven cost £1 5s 6ci fur a certain period, the cost by electric current was only £1 0s sd. LOW CHARGES OF LOCAL BOARD. Comparing the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board's charges for current for milking plant motors with those of boards, lie gave the following figures:— Te Awamutu, £l2 per annum in respect to horse i power, plus 3d per unit; Cambridge £2l, plus id; Central £l2, plus 3d; Thames Valley £ls, plus a charge on the basis of butter-fat; Wairarapa £2O, with a limit on units, the balance at 2id per unit; Wangamii-Rahgitikei £lO, plus 3d for the first 80 units and 2d for the next 120; Banks Peninsula £l2, plus 3d; Man-awatu-Oroua £lO plus 2A-J (the cheapest). The system of charging for current.on the horse-power, plus so much per unit, was recognised the world over as the most equitable. The board bought power from the Government on a k.y.a. basis and » 2 h p. motor would register 2 k.v.a. ot power while running. The cost to the board fit this rate -was £lB per annum, and, dwing to the short hours which milking plants were run, a charge on the unit basis only Would often cause the power to be sold at a loss by the board, for the return would hardly cover the cost ot transmission lines, etc. However, the power secured from Mangahao .for milking plants could be used on other lines when such plants were not running, and one effect of the horse-power charge was to prevent farmers from installing too large a motor, which would leave the board with a surplus of waste power when such motors were not running. It had been stated in the press that a unit on a milking plant would bo used up in halt-an-hour. Mr 11. Schreiber: Have you seen this.' (holding up a booklet). Mr Waters: Yes. That book does not say that a unit will last hftlf-an-hour, but that that would be the case if the motor was working at full load. I don't know who attempted to work it out, but it would be about as difficult to definitely ascertain how long a unit would last as to work out what your farms should produce. How often is a milking motor working at full Mr Waters proceeded to stress the fact that the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board s tariff- was the cheapest in New Zealand. There were 1750 satisfied dairy farmers using electric power in the Waikato, he concluded. . Replying to a few Mr Waters said that the Thames Valley Power Board had 4200 consumers' after running for three vears In October, when the Manawatnbfoua P6\ver Board W6Uld commence operations from Mangahao, after having been supplying current for less than a year, it would have 3200 consumers. By a scheme of letting tenders and financing contractors the local board was securing installations at 82s 6d per paint as compared with up to £2 per point in town. In reply to a further question Mr Waters said that the average cost of connecting up farm properties from the road transmission line was £2 to £2 10s a chain. The board did the first chain free and allowed special concessions Up to 18 chains for milking motors— something which no other board in New Zealand had done. Replying to a question Mr Nash said that where several farmers were connected up on a special lino and one or two refused

to join up, they could be rated on a certain basis to help pay the cost of reticulating the others, He did not say that that provision would be availed of by the board, but his exhorted all to help the chief engineer by becoming consumers of current. HELP FOR SOLDIER SETTLERS. In reply to a question by Mr Schreiber as to the position affecting returned soldiers being given the benefit of the power board's financial arrangements regarding installations ' Mr Nash said that the board Was Using loan moneys, and because it was a public body It could not take risks. It had been found that the soldiers were not in the same position as other consumers* who cotild be sited for installation costs—the board's claim coming even before that of the mortgagee. With the soldiers, though, the board came after the Government and it did nbt like to risk financial loss on that basis. Representations were made to the Government and the position hud appeared to have been remedied. It seemed then that the soldier had beeil placed on the same footing as the average consumer, but on investigation it was found that such was not yet the case. The speaker and Mr Llhklater were to make further representations oil the matter, and he felt SUie that sdmethiiig Would be ddhe. (Applause). The speakers were accorded a hearty vote of thanks uiid Ml 1 IVash expressed his gratitude for the reception - accorded the representatives of the board. CHAROE FOR MOTORS. FARMERS' COMPLAINT. At the meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board yesterday, a letter was received from the Dairy Farmers' Union, forwarding a resolution passed by that body to the effect that electric motors for milking should be charged the same price for current- as obtained in respect to other in' dustrial uses. The chairmai said that the board in this respect was acting more in the interests of consumers than Was done elsewhere in New Zealand. Later in the meeting, when the engineer was dealing with tariff rates, the union's letter was further considered, the chairman commenting that there appeared no other course open but to reply Stating that the board could not alter its decision regarding the rates to farmers. Mr P. J. Small said that the farmers were "up against" the proposed charges, especially the flat rate of £5 per horsepower in respect to electric motors. Mr J. Linklater, M.P. : Can you «X----plain that charge? The chief engineer, Mr W. A, Waters, replied that it was a charge on the basis of that levied on consumers other than farmers, and was, moreover, cheaper than that of other power boards in New Zea j land. He cited instances, pointing out thut the Te Awamutu Power Board charged a flat rate of £l2 0s 3d in respect lo 2 h.p. motors, whereas the ManawatuOroua Power Board's charge for a motor of the same power was only £lO 0s 2;,d. Mr Small i Yes, but the farmers say that their oil engines are cheaper to run than electric motors, even on that basis. Mr Waters: Yes, they say that, but they don't revert to their oil engines once they have used electric power. He proceeded to substantiate his statement by saying that, in the Waikato, there had been no reversions to oil engines except in one case, and the farmer in .question had since decided to again use the electric motor.

At this stage a telegram for Mr Waters was brought into the meeting. It was

from the Te Awamutu Power Board and read: "Two hundred and sixty milking' motors have be»n installed and more are being connected up. There has been not one case of reversion to oil engines." It was decided to reply to the Dairy Farmers' Union stating' that the board could not alter its decision in respect to charges or consider reviewing them for IS months: at least.