POWER BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 289, 10 November 1925, Page 8

POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING

' The monthly meeting of the Mana-wn.tu-Droua Power Board was held this afternoon when there were present: Mr J. A. Nash, M.P. (in the chair), Sir Jas. Wilson, and Messrs Morrison, Tingey, Vincent, Hunt, Hodgens, Small, Linklater, M.P., Eliott, Arbon and McLean.

COST OF POWER

The Cheltenham Co-operative Dairy Coy., Ltd., wrote stating that, following upon its going into the matter of the cost of power to the factory, it had been found that tho method employed by the board in fixing the charges had been totally unsuitable to a seasonal industry. For tho 12 months ended September 30, 1925, the average cost per unit of power purchased by the company from the board was 2.27 d. The total charges include k.v.a. demand charges and the unit charge, and the total of units consumed by the company for the year had been 114,070, for which £1077 12s lid had been paid. From enquiries made in the Waikato, it was found that a dairy company, purchasing its power from Hamilton Central Power Board and consuming 114,259 units (practically the spmo number of units as consumed by the factory) had paid £370 4s for the 12 months, the average cost being .778 d per unit. Hnd the power been purchased from Wellington city it would havo cost £345 less than the sum paid to the board for the same volume of power. In other words, said the writer, the average cost per unit would have been 1.541 d instead of 2.27 d.

The chairman, in commenting on the matter, said that, if the board was to go into the question of a reduction for last year, every factory would demand a similar reduction. The hoard was not in a position to do so in the meantime. The figures quoted by the writers did not seem feasible and, in any case, a comparison with the Waikato was not in order, as they hnd coal—and consequently cheap coal—in that district. Tho board had heavy expenses to face, and, while it was the aim of every member to give cheap power, it was impossible to consider a reduction till the end of the financial year. The meeting concurred with tho chairman’s view and the company is to be advised to this effect.

GENERAL. Messrs J. A. Nash, M. A. Eliott and J. S. Tingey were appointed a committee to represent the board at a conference of power boards to be held later in the month to consider the employees’ claims, etc. Accounts amounting to £8029 16s 8d were passed for payment.

FEILDING APPLICATION

The secretary, Feilding freezing works, wrote requesting information relative to the installation of power at the works. , .

The engineer, in referring to a visit lie had paid to the works, reported that the company purposed installing additional power, and had asked whether it could be treated on tho same terms as the Longburn works. The company was prepared to reduce its load at rush periods as requested by the board, and he (the speaker) thought that 150 h.p. motors would be installed by the company at Christmas time.

The members agreed to the company being treated on the same terms as the Longburn works.

ENGINEER’S REPORT

The report of the engineer, Mr W. A. Waters, was as follows; —“Wo are in a had way for supplies of transformers, as they were lost in the s.s. Kent fire. One of the 1000 k.v.a. tor Feilding was sold on the wharf for £5. Both the 11,000 and 400 volt cables on Colyton-Taonui road have been erected and terminated at the Valley road intersection. Tho 400 volt lines have been livened up, and all consumers’ services have been made, though the wiVing contractors have not yet completed the installation work. The ii,OUU and 400 volt lines on the Coly-ton-Ashhurst-Kimbolton roads are supplying power to Hitchman’s corner on the Kimbolton road, and all consumers in this vicinity to the Kiwitea bridge are receiving a supply of power. Poles have been erected to Kimbolton, and two wiring gangs are busily engaged stringing up conductors. The II,UOO volt portion of this line has been completed as far as Cheltenham, and one wiring gang is continuing this work to Kimbolton, having completed it to Kiwitea. Another gang is operating towards Cheltenham stringing 400 volt conductors and completing consumers’ services and erecting the necessary distribution transformers.

“A gang has been steadily engaged in the Feilding borough throughout the month on reconstruction work. Denbigh street has been re-poled and heavy conductors provided to take care of the increasing load. Manchester street has also been re-poled, and a start will shortly be made to erect heavy cables in this vicinity. “Practically all the poles have been erected in the Pohangina area, and wiring is now proceeding. Some of this work is the mo9t difficult wo have yot done. The extension in Lower Aorangi has been completed. A few small lines radiating from Awahuri have also been livened up. “An officer of the Railway Department has inquired if we can supply lighting to 00 new houses to be erected on Milson’s line. Our reticulation has been laid opt to give the Railway department supply at several points on the new station. During .the month we connected the following consumers: Lighting and heating, 89; motors, 49; water heaters, 42; total, 180.

We have had a good run with Mangahao with the exception of last Monday, when there were three interruptions, varying from 20 seconds to three minutes, due to line trouble beyond Woodville. The Public' Works staff have been searching the line for weeks for this fault, but up to the present it cannot be traced.”

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. The statement of accounts pro seabed by the secretary wus as follows: Amount of loan, £400,000; received to date, £350,000; balance, £50,000. Public Trustee, £32,951 14s; B.N.Z fixed deposit, £10,000; bank balance, £11,624. Available from P. fund account, £11,574 14s Id. Total amount available, £122,160 9s 6d. The following are the collections:— Current (October), £3415 8s 7d; since Ist April, 1925, £14,324 13s 7d; installations (October), £2492 13s 5d • since Ist April, 1925, £11,401 8s Id j miscellaneous (October), £7O 13s sd; (since Ist April, 1925, £492 3s lOd; totals, £5978 15s 5d and £26,218 5s 6d. The total advances are £42,707 6s 4d : amount repaid, £29,922 16s 3d ; and the balance outstanding, £12,784 10s Id. The bank balances are: Loan, £11,624 Is sd; power fund, £12)916 4.0.