POWER FOR TRAMWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20405, 6 November 1929, Page 12

POWER FOR TRAMWAYS.

SUPPLY PROM ABAPUNI.

LOWER CHARGE DESIRED.

APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT

./AUCKLAND BADLY HANDICAPPED

In an effort to reduce tho operating rests 'of the tramways, tho Auckland

Transport Board decided yesterday to .* •: approach the Auckland Power Board with -rn view to making concerted representations to the Government to obtain a induction in the prico of the electric supplied from Arapuni. This . .-artioiv was decided upon as a result of . eritkism directed against the recent inin the. prico of tram and bus concession cards. , . The Auckland trams pay more for electric power than any of the three other .centres, according to a report presented by. the manager, Mr. A. E. Ford. Tho Auckland tramway system consumed . ]3,336,326 units of electricity during the ' year ended March 31 last and the price paid, compared with what the southern "/cities would pay for a similar quantity *"of power, is set out as follows: Kate per Total, unit. coat. Difference. r-A-ncW.ahd .. J.O7Ud £52,207 ./' •'Wellinston . .t?sod £04,941 £17,26b lower "Ohristcliurch .848 d £(>4,788 £17,419 lower Duncdiu .. .790 d £00,357 £21.850 lower Mr. Ford's Recommendation. ..., -.The present year's estimates allow for .a. reduction in tho number of units con...tramways should pay £77,586 this year .-for electric power. This is 19.21 per cent, .pf the total operating costs of the tram...ways. Sir. Ford recommended that negotiations should be opened with tho Auck- ' la ml Power Board to ascertain whether anything could bo done to have the charge reduced. " When the Government /, ' negotiated for the supply of power from •' Arapuni it based its original price to the • "'-Auckland Power Board on a minimum consumption," he said. "As this has • ' fjc'c'n very largely exceeded, it can, perhaps, be approached with the request "that" tile minimum charges ■ should be re/y" considered." ■ "'""The Transport Board was not suggest- "" ing (hat it had not been fairly treated />'.= liv thb Power Board in the. matter of - electricity: charges, saicl : the chairman, •i - -Mr;-:J: A. G. Allum. There was 'no sug- / - .gestion that the Auckland Power Board Act should be altered yr'that the Transport Board should go back on the agreement with the Power Board. The point -'was that Auckland was paying more for 7 )>•*' ' tramway" energy than the Southern r* centres, and if prime charges could bo •' favourably altered it was desirable to see how far any ' savings effected could bo . yr/jfifsaeVl-" on. -In 1915 the tramway authorities were informed that "the Gov-rr-wTiment's .estimate for supplying hydro--r «?}ectrio" power for the' trams at three j-'points "was £5 per.'k.v.a. The" price to- ' ;• tkrjr was- £7 per -k.v.a. ::i " ""

Power Board's Difficulties. '* Sir. E. H. Potter, who' is a member '•of the Power Board, "said that power was -"■' being "sold to tho Transport Board on the s 'very lowest basis. "It had to be remembered, when making comparisons with ' other"places, that tile Auckland Power --Boiird supplied power at four different '*, faints .for the convenience of. the .Transpott: Board, compared with only two in. Christchurch, ' Wellington and " pa'riedirir 1 "'In 1922 the' Ilobson Street station showed a very substantial and by a charge of 1.35 d a unit a saving of £13,000 was effected. Since --then the charge for power had been reduced to 1.076 d' a unit, which produced an average saving of £20,000 a year to tHe Transport' Board, or'£l2o,ooo for the six" years. This reduction had been ' '•made in spite of the fact that the Transport Board's requirements had been invreasing, demanding an expenditure of r-sajbstantial capital sums by the Power -/Board. An interesting comparison is to ""assume that'the Transport Board were to "purchase its power directly from the Gov'"",;erument and own and control the whole .--'oFiis sub-stations and mains and supply '**'Tts own- labour for operating these substations," Mr. Potter said. " Taking the "*' i ppiilion on the basis of the Government ""charge of £8 a kilowatt, this .would mean -'-"that the Transport Board would have to f-p'ay £73,800 a year on present peak load -■' demands for power alone. This represents 1.04 d a unit. To this must be -«dded the capital charges necessary for plant, which cannot possibly be less '-1. : 421 d 4 unit, or an increase of 32 per •cent, over the present rate." It was -iic'cessary, too, to take into account the -tramway fares charged in each centre to 'estimate the cost of power per passenger. Power Board Not Criticised. The engineer, Mr. F. E. de Guerrier, «aid that in 1919 the then city electrical engineer estimated that a saying of ; £20,000 a year would be effected by shutting down the old Hobson Street plant, that representing a saving of .4d a unit. "As tramway generating costs, including -Capital costs, at that time were 1.4 d, the •estimated saving of ,4d should have reduced the price to Id a unit. Between '1914 and 1919 the price actually paid to • the city electricity department averaged "just under I.ld a unit. The Auckland •POWer Board Act later fixed the price --'&t 1.35 d for the first year, but, since then tJfcf price had gradually decreased and .rfhH recent agreement arrived at with the Power Board a year ago reduced it still . /further. The board was now paying -:1„076d,. and it was hoped that the price ."would cemc down even more in the future. •The point .was whether both bodies could /not'.-induce • the-- Government to supply power from Arapuni at a lower rate. .;*vMr. A. J. Eutrioan suggested that the •.•Government should average its charges ./ion;hydro-electric power and make them iuuiform throughout the Dominion; Auckland should not be paying more for electric power, derived from a Government >sm'vee, than; the other centres of New jJfeolfKKliv It, - was -.unfortunate that the li'.aliiwiy.s ever .parted--with their .power••plaut;; wjiich /could have- effected; » saving of £30,000 a year if it had remained in their hands. Years.ago .the then city electrical cngineer'had assured them that htt. cotrkl - generate'.'pcfWet r: Ut tho' King's -Wharf -station; at / very " m'tteh'-ietfs cost ithun- tha* Government : could : generate •.' -r"lt w.as'.deciiietl to* adopt'the manager's -iaggestion, . and <v sub-committee consisting, of Messrs. AHum, E. J. Phelan and • Jj; appointed -to • "confer rfliulh jitbA' Pwver :J3oard at; the-'-earliest :'cipporiunUy. .:di' >'*