POWER BOARD

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 131, 28 May 1932, Page 2

POWER BOARD

LIGHTING RATE SMALL CONCESSION GRANTED Yesterday afternoon the membws of the Central Haw . m > Bay Elcc’ric Power Board spent m-'Wtl hours fu’.'y considering the estimates of receipts and expenditure as drafted by the Finance Committee (Messrs A. C. Russell, chairman; W. H. Rathbone, Chas. Pattison and F. J. Witherow and A. C. Holms). As approved the statement showed the anticipated receipts as £21,£986 14/2 (including £1621 0/7 brought forward from 1931-32) and expenditure £24,348 6s 4d, being an expected credit of £687 7s lOd. It was stated that apart from the reserve of £llO5 Is 7d; Depreciation Fund of £11,628 0/5 and the anticipated balance of £687 7s lOd, £6OO shown as goodwill in respect of the borough plant purchase could be ‘ ‘ drawn against” by way of reasonable concessions. That made is estimated to involve £361 5s sd, and will reduce the anticipated balance as at March 31 next, accordingly. * Following upon a lengthy debate as to the possible affect of a reduction of -Id. per unit in the general domestic lighting rate, of 9d to 81d per unit, as had been broached in the discussion in the chairman’s annual report, a motion to this effect was carried on a division, some members remarking upon the possibility of the non-reticulated area being rated if concessions were continued.

It was unanimously agreed that the Waipukurau Public Hospital and the Rathbone' Maternity Hospital, Waipawa, be granted a reduction of -Id per unit in all lighting viz., to Bld, 6jd, and 4-ld, on the respective scale rates operating. The majority opinion was against a further reduction in the business lighting rate, which last year was reduced from 9s to 8d per unit. The matter was the subject of considerable discussion, but together with any other desirable concession moves was held to be inopportune in view of the Board’s modest resources.

During the course of the debate at the Central Hawke’s Bay Electric Power Board meeting yesterday on the chairman’s annual report, Mr Holms showed that as against the Dominion average of 46.66 per cent of power board working expenses io revenue received, the Central H.B. Board could claim the very satisfactory ratio, despite its special hardship of being a sparsely populated area, of 47.02 per cent. In reply to a suggestion made by the chairman in urging that certain reductions in the basic lighting rate of 9d by at least a small amount (Id per unit) Mr Holms was not concerned for the possibility of causing a rate to be

levied on the country ratepayers, tha latter said he objected to the implication as being an unwarranted one.