ALEXANDRA NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21980, 15 June 1933, Page 9

ALEXANDRA NOTES

(Fkom Our Own Correspondent.) ALEXANDRA, June 13. CENTRAL OTAGO POWER BOARD. The annual meeting of the Central Otago Power Board was held in Alexandra on June 6, and was presided over by the chairman (Mr W. Bringans). Before reading the annual report, the chairman made reference to the death of Mr William Black, the board's first chairman, and in moving a motion of sympathy with the relatives, he spoke in appreciative terms of Mr Black's long association with the board as its chairman and of his valuable work in the interests of the board and the district as a whole. The motion was carried, members standing in silence. The annual report stated, that constructional work during last year had been confined to short L.T. service lines, strengthening lines for heavier loading, and the running of a line under contract back from Fruitlands to the Fourteen Mile claim. The power system remained practically the same as last year, with 4701 poles erected, carrying 708 miles of wire over IG4 route miles of H.T. lines. There were 138 transformers, totalling 3140 k.w. capacity, connected to the lines. Power was supplied to 2089 k.w. of connected loading. In spite of bad trading conditions, it had been possible to keep the wiring and trading account balance, but the decreased turnover was making this more and more difficult.

The following work had been carried out and connected during the year:— 1932. 1933. Lighting points .. 139 145 Heating points .. 38 32 Ranges 5 0 Water-heaters .. 5 10 Motors 7 h.p 63h.p. _ The following figures indicate the position of the board

Units '■ purchased Peak Date. yearly. load. 1930 1,012,155 400 1931 2,104,170 442 1932 1,985,800 409 1933 2,050,840 398

The past year shows a slight drop in the peak load, with a small increase in the turnover of unite. The units were despatched as follows: Alexandra, Galloway & Fruitlands .. .. 729,200 39 p.c. *58,300 Clyde and Earnsclough .. .. 202,510 14 p.c. f 17,610 Cromwell and beyond .. .. 338,890 IS p.c. 126.200 Matakanui and Lauder .. .. 531,130 29 p.c. *37,250 1.801,730 100 p.c. * Indicates increase, f Indicates decrease. The balance sheet showed that the capital assets had increased by the sum of £l7B Ills Od, making the total now £85,480. Iho loan liability of the board remained at £BI,BOO ior construction and £5200 for advances (o consumers, against which there were now accumulated sinking funds totalling £B9OI 3s. The depreciation reserve (not funded) was now £2348 5s 7d. On the capital balance sheet the bank overdraft showed £3202, against £3182 for 1932. The income and expenditure account showed a decrease on the 1032 figures of £252 in the operating costs, and £289 on the capital charges, giving a total decrease of £448. A debit balance on the whole year’s operations was shown, totalling £455. of which £228 was held in suspense, and if not required would reduce the deficit to £227 for the year. Of the accumulated debit balance of £3423, £1250 had been funded, and the balance of £2173 was due in instalments.

Moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the chairman stated that the board’s revenue showed n falling tendency owing to consumers restricting the use of power. While the board appreciated that this necessarily followed in luird times, it was important to emphasise the fact that the board had fixed commitments in the way of interest that must be met, and that if the decrease became too great it would be nccessavy

to fix the revenue elsewhere to carry on, and that could only come from a rate. To meet the falling revenue the board had taken steps to reduce its expenditure, and had succeeded in lowering its cost by over £4OO this year. It felt it could not reduce to any great extent further in this direction, as its service to consumers would suffer and bring about reductions in revenue owing to an unsatisfactory supply. In conclusion, he referred to the excellent work of the staff during the year, the freedom from stoppages of supply, and the general absence of any serious complaints, which showed that the staff as a whole wag carrying out its duties efficiently. The motion was seconded by Mr C. C. Sanders and carried unanimously. Mr W. Bringans was re-elected chairman for, the ensuing year. On resuming the chair, Mr Bringans thanked the members for the confidence they placed in him by electing him for a further term. MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Board was held at the close of the annual meeting. The engineer-manager reported that the linesman had erected services at Cromwell and Clyde, extended the lines to the rifle range, Cromwell, repaired a broken conductor at Lauder, and replaced fuses in the Lauder district. . A transformer at Galloway was repaired and replaced, transformers changed in Lowburn to suit loading, extra men to carry out erection of lines to the mines at Cromwell, and the erection of a jumper line at the back of Cromwell Borough. A transformer and service were erected at Matakanui.

The wiring department had carried out the following work for April-May:— Alexandra: Lighting points, 16; heating points, 5. Cromwell: Lighting points, 14; heating points, 3. The report was received. Accounts amounting to £2220 14s lid were passed for payment.