CITY AND POWER BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 88, 12 March 1935, Page 2

CITY AND POWER BOARD

ELECTRICITY CHARGES. MATTER FURTHER DISCUSSED. Further reference to the matter of electricity supply as between the Man a-watu-Oroua Power Board and the 1 almerston North City Council was heatcl at the meeting of the Power Board, yesterday, when a letter was received from Hon. J. Bitchenei', Minister of Public Works. The letter stated: “With reference to the negotiations that have been proceeding between your board and the Palmerston North City Council regarding electric power supply, I have to advise for your information that representatives of the council waited upon me on March 5 and placed before me of the position from the council’s point of view. A prepared statement of the council’s views was handed me by the deputation, but I pointed out that consideration of the matter could hardly be given by myself until I was aware of tiie views of your board. I would be glad, therefore, if your board would appoint representatives to meet me in Wellington when the position from the board’s point of view could be submitted to enable me to review the whole matter. If convenient to your representatives, I could receive them at my office, Parliament Buildings, at 10.30 a.m. on March 12.” Mr J. A. Nash moved that the matter be left in the hands of the subcommittee already appointed, with power to act. Mr Jos. Batchelar seconded the motion.

Mr E. 0. Bond: I take it we should appoint a deputation Ironi the boaid. Mr Nash: Do that afterwards at the committee meeting. The motion was carried without dissent. BOARD’S PROPOSALS.

Later in the meeting the board had brought before it tor endorsement proposals for the city made hv the sub-committee appointed. The proposals were as follow: That it be a recommendation to the board that the Palmerston North City Council be offered a supply of current at the following price provided they do not run their own plant to reduce the peak load: First 500 k.v.a. per quarter, £2 2s 6d per k.v.a.; next 500 k.v.a. per quarter. £2 per k.v.a.; next 500 k.v.a. per quarter, £1 15s per k.v.a., balance of k.v.a. for quarter, £1 12s 6d per k.v.a.; plus id per k.v.a. unit multiplied by .55 and divided by the actual load factor in per cent, for the quarter. In any quarter in which the council shall operate their plant to reduce the peak load the board reserves the option to charge the council the above k.v.a. charges plus a sum calculated by charging ,5d for every k.v.a. unit registered by a meter and multiplying the result thereof by the load factor per cent., the final result being the charge to be paid for electric power supply for that quarter. That the foregoing prices he charged for all current supplied after March 31, 1935.

Mr M. A. Eliott: How do those charges compare with last year’s ? The chairman (Mr C. G. C. Dermer): Based on last yea.r’s figures they would show the board a profit of £4OOO to £SOOO. . , . Mr Eliott: How much more is this, then? - . Mr W. A. Waters (engineer): About £4OOO. „ . , Mr J. A. Nash: You have definitely settled this? The chairman: Yes, we are agreed. Mr Nash: And you are a majority of the board. Mr N. Campbell: We should be able, as a body, to agree on this matter. Mr Nash: What about the diversity? How much is that? ' Mr J. Hodgens: It was £IOBO last year. And the Public Works Depart ment engineer at Shannon and Mr Kis sel, the Chief Electrical Engineer for the Public Works Department, agreed that the figure set by Mr J. W. Muir the city electrical engineer, was not oil the high side. It is a remarkable fact that when you discuss electrical mat ters with experts they introduce units and power factors and all sorts o! tilings that are unknown to the layman 0 Wliat does this mean now iii K.V.A. charges? The charge is now £2 10s. Air Waters must have an average made out on which he worked. Air Nash: But we are not going to get that average. Mr Hodgens: Aly curiosity is aroused and I would like to know. Mr Eliott: We are asked to vote then on something that we know nothing about. That is not fair to the other members of the board who are not on the committee. The chairman: You are right that we cannot give away rll the information to our friends. AVe cannot publish that. You would make use of it naturally, as you represent the city. Air Nash: What you have done, in effect, is to tell us wliat you are going to do. / •Air Eliott : In view of the deputation going to AYellington I move that- the adoption of the report he left until the next meeting. There was no seconder for the motion. - .

Air Eliott: Does this mean that you are holding this as a pistol at the heads of the council? The chairman: No. That is our offer.

Mr Hodgens drew the attention of the board to the fact that the council would not meet until next Monday night, and could not consider the offer before the board’s deputation went to Wellington. Mr Nash : You cannot go further. The adoption of the report was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr W. P. Bickers and carried, with Messrs Batchelar, Hodgens, Eliott and Nash voting against it on the ground that the information sought was not supplied.