D.—l

The total length of transmission and distribution line in service is 23,322 route-miles, as compared with 22,424 last year, an increase of 898 miles, or 4 per cent. This fact would seem to indicate that there is a steady demand for the extension of electric lines to meet the requirements of the rural areas. The number of consumers per route-mile is 15-90, as compared with 15-87 last year. The new factor introduced for comparative purposes last year was " Units sold per £1 of distribution capital," and appears again this year in Table X. This index figure is computed from the total units sold (section 9of P.P. 15) divided by the capital outlay shown opposite subsections (c) and (d) of section 15 of F.P. 15, and is one which it is hoped will be of value to supply authorities in general when its purport is fully appreciated. The sales per route-mile of line were 36,800 units, and the gross revenue £220+. The units are greater than last year (34,550), and there is an increase in revenue as against £215 last year, due to a general reduction in selling-rates and to load-building campaigns. This increase can also be attributed to a decided improvement in the economic conditions which have prevailed during the past three years, and an examination of the table under " Growth of Load " reveals interesting figures in connection with Electric Cooking and Electric water-heating for the 1935-1937 period. Out of the ninety-three distributing authorities (including Public Works Department, North Island and South Island systems, and excluding Eoss Borough), eighty-two showed a profit for the year amounting to £689,753 and eleven showed a loss amounting to £119,622. The gross revenue (excluding rates) was £5,124,220, and the general result is a profit for the whole Dominion of £570,131 after paying working-costs (£2,386,987) and capital (interest, sinking fund, and depreciation, exchange, &c.) charges (£2,167,102) at the rate of 6-33 per cent, on the total capital outlay of £34,253,508. This shows a net profit of 1-66 per cent., as compared with 1-67 per cent, last year. The business on the whole is thus a thoroughly sound and remunerative one as well as supplying a public necessity to 93 per cent, of the population of the Dominion. The following table summarizes the results of the year's operations in connection with electric supply throughout the Dominion, and Tables XI and XII show the financial statistics for each supply authority. It should be noted that the method of compilation and computation adopted for the following table is slightly different to that of years previous to 1933 : —

Notes :—■ Main Stations. (a) Hydro-electric: Arapuni, Hora Hora, Mangahao, Waikaremoana, Coleridge, Waitaki, Monowai, Golden Bay, Grey, Marlborough, Opunake, Otago Central, Taranaki, Teviot, Waimea (2), Wairere, Dunedin, New Plymouth, Queenstown, Raetihi, Ross, Taihape, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Westport, Whakatane, Havelock North, Kaponga, Murchison, Keri Keri, Kanieri, Reefton, Wairua Falls, Westland Power, Ltd. Total, 35. (b) Steam: Nelson. Total, 1. (c) Oil: Picton, Kaikoura, Uawa, E-awene. Total, 4. Standby Stations. (d) Hydro-electric: Akaroa, Fairlie, Hawera, Kourarau, Oamaru, Ohakune, Patea, Rotorua, Tauranga, Te Aroha, Thames. Total 11. ;(«) Steam: Huntly, Auckland, Wanganui, Christchurch, Dunediti, Invereargill, Nelson, Wellington, Portland, Westland Power, Ltd. Total, 10. (/) Gas : Pukekohe, Palmerston North, Taihape, Westport, Kaikoura. Total, 5. la) Oil: Penrose, Dobson (ex Lyttelton), Ashburton, Hastings, Blenheim, Opunake, Gisborne, Hawera, Motueka, Oamaru, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Napier, New Plymouth, Ohakune, Patea, Thames, Kanieri, Beefton, Westland Power, ltd. Total, 20.

96

— Water. Steam. ; Gas. i Oil. | Total. 1. Number of main stations .. .. No. 35(a) 1(6) .. 4(c) 40 2. Installed capacity (main plant) .. Kw. 234,537 750 .. 222 235,509 3. Number of standby plants .. .. No. 11((Z) 10(e) 5(f) 20(g) 46 4. Installed capacity (standby plant) .. Kw. 4,202 63,825 1,325 17,607 86,959 5. Number of consumers .. .. No. 367,086 3,219 .. 722 371,027 6. Connected load Kw. 1,465,956 9,534 .. 997 j,476,487 7 Units generated .. .. ..No. 1,079,848,259 4,957,363 208,707 1,739,430 1,086,753,759 8. Units sold to consumers (Table X) .. No. 855,720,466 1,878,032 .. 231,877 857,830,375 9. Percentage of non-productive units .. % 20-76 21-56 .. 20-05 21-06 10. Total operative capital (including dis- £ 34,098,886 118,158 .. 36,464 34,253,508 tribution systems and standby plant) 11. Total capital per kilowatt installed £ 106-0 94-5 .. 164-2 106-2 (including distributing systems, &c.) 12. Annual working-costs .. £ 1,167,513* 16,306* .. 5,946. 1,189,765* 13. Annual working-cost per unit under d. 0-33 2-08 .. 6-15 0-33 section 8 14. Annual capital costs (interest, sinking £ 2,156,120 8,471 .. 2,511 2,167,102 fund, and depreciation) 15. Annual capital cost per unit under d. 0-60 1-08 .. 2-60 0-61 section 8 16. Annual capital costs as percentage of % 6-32 7-16 .. 6-89 6-33 capital 17. Total annual costs (section 12 plus £ 3,323,633 24,777 .. 8,457 3,356,867 section 14) 18. Total annual cost per unit under d. 0-93 3-16 .. 8-75 0-94 section 8 19. Total annual revenue (from retail sale £ 3,791,500 28,418 .. 6,861 3,826,779 of electricity) 20. Average revenue per unit (from sections d. 1-063 3-63 .. 7-10 1-071 19 and 8) 21. Gross revenue (excluding rates and £ 3,890,086 29,535 .. 7,377 3,926,998 bulk sales) 22. Net profit (section 21, less section 17) £ 566,453 4,758 .. l,080f 570,131 23. Ratio working-costs to gross revenue % 30-00 55-20 .. 80-60 30-30 (section 12 and section 21) * After deducting revenue derived from bulls sales (Table XI). t Loss. } This figure is distinct from that of £215, shown in Table XIII, which is compiled on revenue from sale of electricity only.