Electrical Distribution in. The City

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 104, 4 May 1937, Page 8

Electrical Distribution in. The City

PAST YEAR’S WORKING REVIEWED "The power station, Diesel plant, substation transformers and distribution lines of the department are all in good working order," stated Mr. J. W. Muir (city electrical engineer) in the course of a report to last night's meeting of the City Council on the working of his department for the year ended March 31 last. "The maximum load for the year was 3187 k.v.a., as against 289 G k.v.a. last year. This shows an increase of 291 k.v.a. The units bought and generated numbered 15,684,813, as against 14,019,605 the previous year. This shows an increase of 11 per cent. "Based on old contract 17s Id was saved by running the plant to cut the peak load. Last year's figure on this basis was £ll9B 12s lid, the improvement being due to the more efficient Diesel plant. The average cost of power per k.v.a. was £7 4s, tho portion generated costing £3 7s and the portion bought from the Power Board £8 Bs." On the recommendation of Mr. Muir, the council decided that the Public Works Department should be charged ,55d per unit fox power which it may request the city to generate under the conditions of the new contract. Confirmation was given to an arrangement that a minimum of £5 should be paid each time tho department requires the council to generate power. Although passenger fares revenue shows an increased patronage, the sum realised was more than absorbed by increased labour costs due to the reduction in the working iveek and increased heavy traffic fees. Otber Accounts. The position of the undermentioned accounts is as follows: £ s. d. Interest account .... cr. 3715 18 9 Deposit account .... cr. 3796 19 5 Opera House account . cr. 1254 8 4 Sanitary account .... cr. 290 5 2 Housing account .... cr. 81 8 7 Insurance Account . .. cr. 65 4 2 The insurance account excludes the sum of £7565 18s 8d on deposit with the Public Trustee. Rates. Total rates struck for year 1936-37: 279,968 10s sd. Amount outstanding March 31, 1937: 26745 Is 4d. The latter amount represents 8.45 per cent, of the total amount struck, as against 9.G2 per cent, last year, and 14.15 per cent, for 1934-35. The total of all rates unpaid on March 31, 1937. was £13,098 2s 2d compared with £13,507 10s lid at the same date last year. Proceedings havo been taken and judgment secured against a large number of ratepayers. As a result of such proceedings a fairly large sum has been paid. Discount on Rates. —Tho council this year decided again to offer a discount of 2J per cent, on rates paid within one month of date of demand, and this concession to ratepayers cost the council £IOO2 Is lid. Up to July 31, 1936, being the last day for tho granting of the discount, the sunt of £35,876 17s Id was received, which enabled the council to leave sufficient in the current account at the bank to meet ordinary expenses and to maintain the sum of £15,000 on fixed deposit, which sum had been thus placed on deposit in the financial year 1934-35. Bank interest for the yeai was £333 7s 6d whereas fixed deposit interest allowed by the bank provided 1 a sum of £506 15s 9d. District Fund Account. The district fund account, which comprises all the accounts mentioned aforesaid, had a credit balance of £20,289 0s 5d as against £19,357 15s lOd at the commencement of the year. Invested With Public Trustee. £ s. d. Accrued sinking fund .. 66,821 711 Depreciation— Electrical Undertaking 36,638 7 10 Gas Undertaking .... 22,563 10 7 Omnibus Undertaking 1.335 17 7 Fire & Accident Ins. fund 7,565 18 8 Repayment principal, Employees' Housing Loan 679 11 1 Total funds .. .. .. 135,604 13 8 Loan Accounts. Tho position of tho loan accounts which have no connection with the district fund account, are in credit as stated hereunder: Unemployment relief loan £3OOO, £25 18s sd; electric traction and destructor loan of £24,500, £7 3s 8d; airport loan of £20,000, £20,000; llokowhitu sewer loan of £12,000, £132 12s 4d; Housing loan of £IO,OOO, £319 18s lOd; waterworks loan no. 1 £11,300, £3799 14s 4d; waterworks loan no. 2 £8260, £1583 8s lOd. Movements of Public Debt. As previously pointed out the amount of loan maturing ou June 1, 1930, was £16,000 and the indebtedness of the city was reduced by this sum on that date. Under the terms of the conversion order the further sum of £17,000 of loan debt matures ou June 1, 1937. This does not confer any advantage ou special rate account as the sinking fund payment for the current financial year will be increased by payment thereto of 41 per cent, on tho debentures, amounting to £30,980 which matured up to June 1, 1936. The two waterworks loans for which he sanction of the rate-payers was given on February 26, 1936, were placed at an interest rate of 3\ per cent, per annum repayable by equa. half-yearly instalments of principal and interest over a period of twenty years. On December 1 1936, the first instalment fell duo and £394 3s 5d was repaid. A further sum of £9OB 13s 5d was also repaid in respect of conversion loan no. 2, which now stands at £34,773 0s Id having been reduced from £36,975 in J 934. Tho city’s contribution to the Palmerston North Hospital Board this year, covering capital and maintenance levies, amounted to £8928 4s 2d, an increase of £IBB4 5s 2d. An increase in the special rate was made to allow for the additional payment.