THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14279, 30 July 1908, Page 4

THE CITY TRAMWAYS.

CHARGES FOR POWER,

At llio meeting of the City Council last -light. Cr Shacklook moved—'"That clause 4 of the Electric Power and Lighting Cornmil Ice's report be adopted—'The Tramways Committee has boon notified that tlio charge for tho supply of power to tlio tramways will bo l.lOtl per unit, and for lighting at ordinary lighting rates as from July l, 1908.'" The mover said he thought tho lramway Department' had for some time not been paying enough for the power supplied to it. It wns necessary that tho price should he raised. The engineer had several times reported on this and the recommendation was now before- the conned. Those who had read tho engineer s reports would see that tho charges to the.Tramway Department wore lower Mian thoso to other customers. It w as impossible for them to sell any part of their unused" power to any other customers, as it must bo always in readiness for the trams. If .there wero no tramways to be supplied, there would only have to'be three switchboard attendants required, and very littlo machinery. Tlio charges proposed compared with those in other centres wero low.

Cr KcAst seconded the motion. , Cr J. E. White said they would bo working tho trams at a huge loss if they were not careful.

Cr Colo asked in fairness that his manager's report be read 'beforo further discussion took place. Tho 1 report in its ontiroty was Tcad by tho Assistant Town Clerk. Tho salient points bearing on tho question were that it was absolutely unfair that a comparison should be mado in cost of power by the old and new plant; that it was onlv fair that tho Electric Lighting and Power Department pay for all poles, etc.; that tramways use most power at times when the station has tho most power to spare. h. i™ 3 ;" sai<l tllo ona ' rma n had <d\y»» them little information, but ho thought the figures wore curious, and that Mr u- „i made some w'iat of a blunder bv lidding 26 per cent, on to tho operating and other charges. He should liavo added ib per cent, to cover the loss in conversion. Besides the 1.56 multiplied by the same number of units produced £120 The char ?o recommended, by Mr Stark in one of his reports had been Id. Mr Stark had mado a mistake of £680. Many other poms must be carefully, considered beforo am-thmg decisive was done. He thought that matter of the mistako of £680 should be cleared up at once. Cr H H. S. White said the figures V kd M Sn,aJl wero correct There had been a mistake made. Tho geotricPower and Lighting Department t Z\n^* V loSBe3 in Amission to tho M.lburn Lime and Cement ComMrsLfl i*° t all - repair 3to tho cable. Mr Stork had not given tlio Tram Departof Id would be any amount." Mr Stark Ihe cfty >Ut a " jthinS ° Ver id WOul <' W

Ci Goto said he washed to make clear the financial aspect of the question. The question of turn* the price of tram Cf'J , K, been lon S in «"> air. Mr ataik had taken several amounts into conization, all getting larger. Personally he could not understand it at all. ft ™' a big rj«. At the last meeting they hud »notwned an-increase of wages All th« fl STt™ n nl , that a »tive profit £2102 for the year', transactions. Was i th'&F 1 Mr Goodraa ' l ha<l recon, W per unit, whieh he cohsC Z', and , P."P«od to have reduced Ho 2 i^rtS ere Ho tIIOUt J.ho Mayor Won't you mab it Id' Hi. «« : r a lwvo sufficient confidence in such ft suggestion forward "nd not • * our voicw against it * raiso This was seconded by Or J E wl,;t« who said- ho was certain that F thi lte ' mendation of the Kty^ffiSlT"--b« eufficicut for electrical purpos*An other point raised by Mr' Alexander w" tho cos of generating by steam power hi Wellington, but he was undo,- a mi.— tension. A number of factories™ hR be taken „, 0 consideration. The cost If

■J' I 'j ??-' B aake , d P fo further Cr Ban' said his former view had berth' somewhatwodiflgd by what ho had hea that - might. The basis of the t £ e should not he that of tho most favoured customer It appeared that it had To £«#■■ '* , V lod ™« »«onaW? and that it should bo regarded from a councd point of vhw, as a whole. He was i„ c mod tp support the proposal that the charge should be Id. . Tho Mayor, said ha thought it astonish■•Jig should bo "sprung" „n the council. Were he the council, ho would send the recommendation hack for further consideration.

Cr Shaddock and Crs Small and Banhad mad© a mistake in reckoning the'dc current as thoir basis. Thov must add interest and depreciation to that. • Cr Cplo obtained the permission, at the suggestion of tho Mayor, that his amendment be again, altered to "send tho recommendation bad: for further consideration."

Cr Shacklock expressed tho opinion llw figures were correct, and that if would not bo worth while sending tho recommendation back. The council apparently Ad not know how to calculate tie charges. The Tramway Committeo should recollect that they paid for tho services of tho electoral engineer, but they never availed themselves of his services. ' The converter station should ho treated as the tramway's premises, and flip current should he delivered there. The reticulation of electricity should' bo distributed on tho samesystem as the reticulation of water and gas. Or Small's suggestion, that the electrical engineer and the manager should prepare a. printed report seemed unnecessary. Borne time ago the Electrio Light Department, had recived a. letter from a gentleman in ,Christchirreh, who stated that the price of power there was 1.3 7-6 d per unit; so UOd was a reasonable and a fair charge. The amendment was lost, Cr Wilfion then moved—" That the charge be Id." This was seconded by Cr Sullivan, and lost. Cr Burnett said, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." The electrical engineer (one of the- four men m New Zealand who did understand the matter) should be asked to place it before them. Tho motion was then nut and carried.