BOROUGH ELECTRICAL UNDERTAKING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144070, 15 April 1913, Page 3

BOROUGH ELECTRICAL UNDERTAKING.

7 A YEAR OF PROGRESS.

Chatting to a Herald reporter this morning, Councillor Clarke, chairman of the Electric Light Committee, of.the New Plymouth borough Council, referred to the very satisfactory, growth of the electrical undertaking.

The total revenue from ail sources during the past year was £6350, approximately £IOOO increase on oho iigures of last year. -After paying interest and all working expenses, chore is a gross profit of £'2900.. . The profit has been disposed of by 'writing £Bl7 oft the plant, £7BB off the private lighting plant, and £253 off the street lighting JjlautJ leaving £IOSO to carry forward. The revenue, continued Councillor Clarke, is made up of £4600 from private lighting, £B3O power and heating, and £B2O public lighting, including streets and public buildings. ■

These amounts, which are written oil the plant year by year, are devoted to the purchase of new' machinery and extensions, and although the total lo:, a was £38,900, the capital expenditure has been increased in this way Jo-over £46,500, and, in addition £1690 has been spent on streets in relief of the rates some four years ago, and there is also a sinking fund of £726, which, too, has come out of profits. - ,

With regard to the future, Councillor Clarke said the demand for electricity was increasing so rapidly that the council during the next two years would be compelled to construct a weir at the intake and also to duplicate the trails mission line. With an. undertaking whiolj had grown to such an extent it was unfair to jeopardise tiio consumers by asking them to depend upon a single transmission line. During tile past year extensions had been authorised to Westowu and Frankleigh Park, and these were practically completed, and already quite a number of the residents in these districts had their houses wired in readiness. These extensions would in all probability end any very large expenditure for some years-do come, as the whole district, so far as\piain lines were concerned, was supplied.''-

A new machine is on-order for the duplication of'the present plant, so that the council will have a reserve power—a position they have not been m for some years. With the construction of the weir and the installation of the new machine now on order, there will be sufficient power available to supply requirements for some years to come, both for lighting and heating purposes and also for tramway purposes.

The electrical undertaking is a particularly flue asset for the town, and incidentally Councillor Clarke remarked that.it employed quite a number of hands and was paying about £IOOO a year in wages. ■