POWER FOR OPUNAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 8

POWER FOR OPUNAKE

INSTALLATION OF DIESEL.

MEETING OF THE BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Opunake Power Board was held yesterday when there were present: Messrs. G. Goodwin (chairman), W. C. Green, A. J. Brennan, W. L, F. Chambers, C. 0. Edmonds and A. E. Collins. The secretary (Mr. J. N. Stephenson) submitted his report for December as follows: —

Revenue for November is as follows, the figures for the corresponding month in 1929 being shown in parentheses:— Lighting, £371 4s lOd (£354 4s lOd); industrial power, £l4B 18s 2d (£165 19s 4d); milking power, £497 7s ( £486 15s sd); street lighting, £l2 13s 4d (£l2 13s 4d); stoves, £B5 7s 2d (£B6 5s 3d); water-heaters, £7l 17s 7d (£67 8s 4d); penalties. £2O 4s 8d ( £l4 16s 6d); totals, £1207 12s 9d (£llBB 3s). The increase in revenue, £l9 9s 9d, is apparently small but this is due to the fact that the meters were read very much earlier than usual last month, and the month was therefore a short one so far as revenue was concerned.

At present £2500 of the £3OOO loan has been raised and is in hand but difficulty is being experienced in disposing of the remaining debenture. The proceeds of this debenture will not be required before the middle of next month so that its sale should be made before that time. Application has been’made to the Loans Board for permission' to raise the supplementary loan and notification should be received this month.

In connection with tenant consumers, it is possible that some landlords may consider the purchase and installation of prepayment meters in their buildings. The meters cost approximately £4 each and are operated on the penny in the slot principle. The meters would be under the control of the board and adjusted according to charges made. These meters are being extensively used at beach resorts and are usually operated by shilling pieces. I would suggest that owners of buildings who do not have permanent tenants be communicated with and be given the opportunity of purchasing these meters. Mr. Green pointed out that there was a difficulty in that Opunake was working on the flat rate system.

The report was adopted with the exception of the paragraph regarding slot meters.

The clerk submitt; 1 a statement showing the actual expenditure for the nine months ending December 31, 1930, with the estimated expenditure for the 12 months in parentheses as follows:—■ Bulk power £383 (£950), generating station £394 (£460), distribution £ll6O (£1690), public lighting £l4 (£2O), salaries £427 ( £56), members’ fees £167 ( £180), insurance £125 ( £200), petty cash, telephones, etc., £6O ( £B5), printing, advertising, etc., £76 (£100), legal £ll (£10), miscellaneous £383 (£461). The engineer (Mr. D. Fraser) reported that the units generated for December, 1930; were 107,000, a decrease of 16,200 on the output for December, 1929. The maximum load registered was .390 k.W. Owilig to continuous dry weather the head "of water on the lake had been exceptionally low, this necessitating drawing continuously from, the bulk supply, and during peak hours it had been difficult on many occasions to maintain an efficient service. Good progress had been made with the erection of the Diesel engine, and had the alternator been to hand there would haie been no difficulty in having the plant in operation by the specified date. Advice had been received that the alternator had been shipped on the Ruahine, due to arrive at Wellington on January 26. The following permits had been issued: Lighting points 25, heating. il, water heater 1, industrial motors 2, I water pumps 3. New connections made were: Lighting points 25. heating poin s 14, water heater 1, industrial motors 2, water pumps 3. \ /. . Replying to Mr. Chambers the chairman stated that the townspeople of Opunake were charged for the cost of erecting the additional lighting, also for the hire of the material. They were -given the power free. It was a good proposition for the board -as during the period the business people themselves used considerable extra light. It was pointed out that the contract for the supply of the generator expired on the day of the meeting and there was a penalty of £2 10s a day. ERECTION OF RESIDENCE. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, New Plymouth, notified that it had been decided to agree to the disposal of the sections alongside the board’s plant at Opunake to the board on. the deferred payment system for £l5O for 34Z- years, £lO to be paid as deposite and £4 Ils half yearly. In reply to the board's.application for a loan for. the purpose of erecting.. a. dwelling on the sections for the engineer the State Advances Department notified that the department was- not at present making advances under the provisions of the Housing Act; 1919. Mr. Green expressed surprise at receiving such a reply, lie thought the board should not let the matter rest but. should take it to the Minister. They were placing, the Power Board in the same position as an individual. l’i°viding the board was still of opinion that °the residence was necessary they should press, the - matter to the utmost. Replying to Mr. Collins, who was not present at the last meeting, the chairman said that the .board was unanimous on the question that it was a sound business proposition to build the residence. Mr. Green said that if the Government was going to shut up its lending institutions” and then criticise the private person for closing his purse the position was wrong. It was resolved to place the position before the Hon. S. G. Smith at New Plymouth to-day. The chairman pointed out that at the last meeting a resolution had been passed reducing, the rate of wages, but no date had been fixed to bring it into operation. In view of the fact that at present the men were working veiy liarc. and verv long hours in connection with the installation of the Diesel engine and. moreover, had always given very loyal service to the board, he thought the present time was very inopportune to make any reduction in wages and he favoured the matter being deferred until the end of the financial year. Mr. Chambers agreed. Had the reduction been in operation he had intended moving that the men be paid a bonus when the plant was operating. He moved that the operation of the reduction be deferred till the end of the financial year. This was seconded by the chairman. The motion was carried. At the request of Mr. Chambers at the last meeting, the clerk produced the authority form asking for a deposit

from tenants or sharemilkers prior to connecting electric power. Authority was given by the. adoption of a report submitted by the secretary in March, 1928, recommending a deposit of- £2 10s in the case of a milking motor, £1 for house lighting and 10s for water heaters. Mr. Brennan asked how it was that notices had been sent out only during the past two or three months demanding deposits when the report had been adopted over two years ago. He had been met by a “wild man” on the Saturday evening when his tenant’s lights had been cut off. The man flourished the receipts in his face and the speaker was taken aback as he knew nothing about the matter.

Mr. Green asked whether there had been defaulters in the past or whether it was only in the last three or four months that it had been necessary; to send out default notices. . ' 'The chairman said that he understood the penalties had' been enforced'in the past. Mr. Brennan said that he would object to that statement as it was not correct. Only two or three months ago a notice had been sent to a fatcory manager asking for a deposit. Mr. Brennan referred to a case on the beach where a cottage had been disconnected though the account- had been paid. The secretary stated that they had disconnected two adjoining cottages, in one of which the account, was in arrearsThe deposit had not been paid in either case so they could not very well discriminate.’

Mr. Brennan said that in view of such drastic action the owner who had previously made good his tenant’s arrears now refused to do so.

It was pointed out that he was legally liable.

Mr. Collins pointed out that the deposit was required with the idea of protecting a landlord. It was shown that there were only a few cases in which notices had been sent out. . It was resolved that before cutting off any consumer the matter be referred to a committee comprising the chairman, one town member and the secretary, their action to ' reported at the next meeting of the board. '< ./.. The Opunake Surf Life Saving Club was granted permission to hold a carnival in . the lake this evening, subject to the permission of the engineer.