OPUNAKE POWER BOARD

Opunake Times, 16 January 1934, Page 2

OPUNAKE POWER BOARD

Tr,Eiho: ]f H Lf^PK TIN G increase in revenue. The monthly meeting of the Opunake Power Board was held on Friday last when the following were preset,: Messrs G. Goodwin (chairman), A. J. Brennan, C. O. Edmonds, It. B. Fleming, E. A. Collins, J. S. Tosland and W. C. (irecti. Sectary's Report. The financial statement subniitied by the secretary (Mr W. A.

Sharp) disclosed a net increase of £23 in the revenue tor eight months compared with the same period oi the previous year. The position was considered very satlsiactory, especially in view of the fact that tiie 10 per cent rebate had been in operation during tne whole of this year's period, whereas for the corresponding period of last year the rebate had only been in operation for part of the time, the revenue showed a gross increase of £322. The overdraft also showed a decrease of £IOOO. The statement showed that for the first eight months of 1933 and 1932 respectively the revenue had been: Lighting, £3840, £3754; stoves, £767, £700; industrial power, £983, £970; milking power, £2396, £2244; water heaters, £449, £449; street lighting, £lOl £101; penalties, £124, £l2O. The total revenue was £8660, compared with £8338 for the same period of last year, an increase of £322.

Rebates totalled £846, compared with £547, an increase of £299. The net revenue therefore was £7814, compared with £7791 for the same period last year, a net increase of £23.

The net revenue for December was £IIG7 and cash received, including that from general sundry debtors, £1222. The revenue was keeping steady and no doubt the fact that there was not a no. ticeable increase iu December was due to the very dry spell experienced.

Sundry debtors, outstanding at December 31 were £7GO. That was very much lower, mainly due to the fact that a large number of old accounts had been written off but a number of old accounts had been paid in response to numerous letters wiitten. All outstanding accounts irrespective of what they were for had been transferred to the electricity account so that from now on all consumers would know exactly the total they owe. Engineer's Report.

The engineer (Mr D. Fraser) reported tor December as follows : Tne units generated at the power station totalled 118,970, tire maximum load carried being 380 k.w. The units generated for December 1932, were 129, 200, the peak load being 370 k.w. The figures showed a decrease in the units generated of 10,230, entirely due to the shortage of water during the dry period. Power was taken from New Plymouth on 31 days. The Diesel plant ran 105 hours, the running hours for the same period last year being 352. The work of removing silt from the lake was being carried on, and approximately 1000 yards had been removed. Ten chains of twophase low tension wire had been run to connect up a three-phase motor on the Pihama circuit. Three single-phase services have been run, two at Oaonui and one at Pihama. Installations connected during December, with the, figures for the corresponding period last year in parentheses;, Lighting- points 12 (12), heating 3 (4), field pumps 0(1), industrial motors 1 (0-, alterations 2 (4), reinspections 12 (9). Referring to the fact that the* Diesel engine had not been run so* much during the month, the* chairman said it had been found! slightly more economical to pro. cure bulk supply from New Plymouth especially from the far end of the district, a s the supply was very satisfactory. He consider-£ (hat they had never had * mm p satisfactory supply. ll more Genej^i The treasury r . S u bmitted the to lowing of the estima.SU *£ cial l >osition at March 31 r ', "J Bunk overdraft at date, against £0174 last year; estimated cash receipts £3500: expenditure £3094; estimated overdraft £4768, against £6014 at the beginning of the financial year.

I he details of the estimated expenditure were: Sinking fund payments .£1052, interest £440, depreciation £l5O, interest on hank overdraft estimate £IBO, and accounts and general charges for February and March £1272. An electrical contractor submitted a scheme of servicing- for consumers an an annual basis, and it was decided to communicate with others boards a sking for information regarding- the working and. success of such schemes.