POWER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25804, 27 March 1945, Page 7

POWER SUPPLY

INCREASED SALES OF ELECTRICITY WAITAKI BOARD MEETING The financial reports submitted to the monthly meeting of the Waitaki Electric Power Board yesterday morning disclosed an increase in the sales of electricity of £175 for February, and of £2154 for the 11 months of the financial year, compared with the corresponding periods last year. The balance owing under hire-purchase accounts was at a low figure, and the applications approved at the meeting totalled £937 10s, showing increased business under this heading. Trading results, too, showed a very satisfactory position. There were present at the meeting Messrs A. R. Tail (chairman), E. S. Brewster, N. H. Colquhoun, J. Genie, H. P. Kent, A, B. Lang, James Newlands, G. 0. Pringle, and D. R. Neave. A grant of £5 5s was made to the North Otago Boy Scouts' Association. Correspondence was received from the Oamaru Borough Council in connection with trees and power lines, the engineer (Mr N. A. Davidson) reporting that the council had met the board s requests concerning trees in two reserves and Takaro Park, and as a result of an interview with the chairman of reserves, a working arrangement had been reached in connection with the trees in the borough As a result of a reinspection of electrical installation at the Opera House, the Oamaru Borough Council wrote asking the board to prepare specifications for the necessary work, so that tenders could be invited.—The engineer explained ihat. it was not possible to give details or the materials and work required, as the reinspection disclosed only the defects in the installation.—The engineer’s reply along these lines was approved. Finance The secretary (Mr C. F. Jones) reported that sales of electricity for February totalled £3991. compared with £3816 in 1944, and £3640 in 1943: and for the first 11 months of the financial year, £54,705, compared with £52,551 and £49,867. Installations on terms for February totalled £244, compared with £l3O, £27 15s, and £167 in the preceding months. The balance owing under hire-purchase accounts at February 28 was £2413, compared with £4040 on the corresponding date last year. The trading results totalled £1716, compared with £1569 in February, 1944, and for the 11 months £15,559, compared with £15,457. The figures for 11 months indicated a more favourable P°®J" tion than was anticipated from results during the early months of the financial ' V< TIVe difference in the Power Fund accounts, to be covered by subsequent receipts, was £721 16s Id, and the surplus in the loan account was £3037 4s sa. Accounts totalling £16,640 13s )0d (Powei Fund £15,937 ss, loan account £703 8s lOd) were passed for payment. Seven applications for financial assistance were approved. Engineer’s Report The engineer reported that 476 concrete poles and 53 stub poles had been made fo date, the 35ft pole mould being adapted to make a few 40ft poles FourHin downs had been held on the South H 11 in order to erect the new poles of the 11 000-volt line to the additional Hull street, sub-station. The line extension to Messrs Grant and Hutton (Otekatkc) had been completed. In spite of the very high costs of line extensions and installations, inquiries for new lines were be ng received and signed up. One pole had been shifted in the boards Waitaki line 1o avoid river erosion. New installations included 10 consumers, 45 transfers, and 3 reinspections, the load added for the month being 113.509 k.w. During February the Doard leceived 1,462,800 (1,497,600) units fro , m G° ve 7? m u supply, generated 3436 (1902) units by water set, and 1823 (651) by oil engine, making a total of 1,468,059 (1,500,153), the figures for February, 1944, being shown in parentheses. The P.W.D. peak load to date for the current quarter was 333 b k.v.a., compared with 3400 k.v.a. last year. Much-needed supplies of hardwood crossarm timber had been received, and the stocks of 25ft. hardwood service line poles were exhausted.