POWER SUPPLY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17118, 13 April 1921, Page 10

POWER SUPPLY.

ASHBUBTON COUNTY SCHEME. Mr F. W. WatV of Aahbukon, delivered an-address/in the Rajcaia Town* Hall on the proposal to establish a Power Board, for the Ashbuxton County. Tho meeting was very poorly attended, the farming community having-only one representative. Mr Watt Mated that it was proposed to have only one Power Board for the whole county, which would mean a big saving in wages, eto. Another advantage, would b? that' current could ba bought. cheaper "By one board than by two"; as' there was a reduction in price after the first 2£jo kilowatts/ It was" proposed 'that lie board should be elected' as follows:—The ■ratepayers of the borough to have 3 members.; Tinwald 1, and the balance of the county 8 members*. The first duty of the board would be to' consider questions of policy. .The next duty-would be to appeal to the ratepayers for a loan to cover the necessary heavy initial expenditure. It would ba. ■necessary 'to provide money to buy out the Ashburton Eleotrkw Supply Co. Tho reasons for that step were: (1) It was necessary, to eliminate private enterprise, : andrso secure a wide market. tor current; and (2) a, standby plant would have to be provided for emergencies, and'the plant already m existence in the borough would do admirably for fnat purpose,-. The Government had 'promised that, by July, 1922, current would be •available in Ashburton, and it was for the people to .see that the market ' was ' ready' when the current • came. The county was in a good position, for thera was a big market' available, and the standby plant was already metalled. The current would come from the lake via Methven; on a 11,000-volt , high-tension line, and this would be, broken, down t0'220 volte at stations, at Methven, Hatfield, Muyfield, and other centres. The •Government would pay for the direct line from the lake to Ashburton, and the Power Board would have to provide for all the other, wires. Tie speaker exhibited a map of the county, ahow- ' ine " tho. area divided into blue and white patches. The blue were those where settlement was not'«> thick, and'where the residents would have to make some special ■arrangements to reduce the capital cost of the undertaking in those parts before 'curlent could be made available to them, orthey might perhaps guarantee a certain income for a number of years. The total amount required by the board for the. teliolo undertaking, including the purchase' of the Electric Supply Cto.'e plant, was There were, at least 2500 consumers in eight, and experience proved that in such undertakings oventunlly 75, or even 90 per cent., of the ratepayers became consumers. At the present time there was a"n unsatisfied'demand in the borough for 235 h.p. of electrical energy. It was .expeoted that the- board would have an income of £13,350 available. - Mr Barlow also addressed the meeting. He stated that a 2-horso power plant, working 4 hours a day for 9 manthß of the year, would cost £25 per annum. A house of five of six rooms would cost £lO or £l2 per annum.to liijhtj Both Mr Watt, and Mr Barlow answered a number; of questions. On. the motion of Mr A.. J. Marshall, the speakers'' were accorded a vote of thanks for their addresses.* A number of signatures to the petition praying for the establishment of a Power Board were secured.