WAITEMATA POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21346, 22 November 1932, Page 11

WAITEMATA POWER

AFFAIRS OF THE BOARD

INCREASE IN REVENUE

The financial statement of the Waitemata Electric-Power Board for the month ended October 31, received at yesterday's meeting of the board, showed that gross sales of current amounted to £6222, compared with £6083 for the corresponding month last year, an-increase of £139. The total gross sales of current for the seven months ended October 31 were £52,979, as against £50,919 for the corresponding period Jast year, an increase of £2059. Discounts allowed to consumers for the past seven months totalled £9939.

The co-operation of the board toward securing reduced interest charges was requested in a communication received from the Otago Electric-Power Board in connection with the conversion of local body loans. The letter stated that as prices for primary produce were well below those of 1914, whereas New Zealand costs for services rendered were nearly 50 per cent above those of the same year, it was simply impossible to balance expenditure with revenue, and losses were the rule. It was evident that interest rates of local bodies' loans must be reduced. It %vas decided to support the request. A letter received from the ElectricPower Boards and Supply Authorities' Association in connection with the cost of removal of poles stated that, in consequence of the decision of the Court of Appeal that the county council is liable for the cost of the removal of poles rendered necessary upon the alteration of the road, the Audit Office has ruled that anv contribution to sucli a cost of removal made by a power board is not authorised b >' and cannot be made except out of "unauthorised" expenditure. In these circumstances, power boards were notified that the arrangements made between the Counties' Association and the ElectricPower Boards' Association could not be given effect to, unless in any specific case the power board was prepared to make its payment by way of unauthorised expenditure.