POWER DISTRIBUTION

Chronicle (Levin), 24 July 1946, Page 4

POWER DISTRIBUTION

Horowhenua District board's monthly meeting A meetihg of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board was held yesterday. Mr. G. A. Monk was in the chair, and present were Messrs. C. S. Keedwell, R. O. Hornblow, J. H. P. Liggins, R. R. Linfl, W. E. Barber, T. G. Vincent and General R. Young, with Messrs. R. A. Frederikson (managing-secretary) and J. F. Bryce (engineer). Leave of absence was granted to Mr. F. vF Vickerman. New Consumers A letter from the Electricity Controller, covering several aspects of the electricity supply situation, was received. Commenting, the chairman said! that supply authorities all over New Zealand were adding to the number of their consumers every day. Until an order was made pro^hibiting new installations, the supply authorities were justified in doing all they could to supply new consumers. The Controller (Mr. F. T. M. Kissel) had said that it was better to supply. everyone with electricity, in spite of the rationing, than to have a few go completely without. Mr. Monk said that he agreed with this view. It was left to the power bdaras to debar any type of installation which they considered unnecessary at any time. Request for Power Declined The Controller also wrote requesting information, to be passed 011 to the Minister of Works, in regard to an application for a power connection at Paraparaumu by Mrs. L. B. Vercoe. The manag-ing-secretary's reply, which was read to the board, was considered satisfactory. The chairman said that the application was declined for two reasons — a shortage of material and lack of plans. The board was not prepared to reticulate new subdivisions until a definite plan had been made. Without planning, the installation of a supply to Mrs. Vercoe would involve unnecessary expense. As soon as plans were made, and materials and labour were available, the work would proceed.

Indifferent Alleged ~Allegations that the officers of the board had adopted an indifferent attitude to the rationing of electricity, in that the public were not notified of cuts to be made, and were thus inconvenienced, were made in a letter to the board from Mr. J. Wrigglesworth. The chairman -informed the meeting that he had made a per^ sonal reply to the letter, in whichhe had said that the aim of the board's officers was to keep witnin the power allocation with the least inconvenience to the coiisumers. He - had enclosed with the reply a copy of the circular issued by the board in May, which had warned consumers of the ' necessity for the cuts, and asked for their co-opera-tion. There had been very few complaints, otherwise, said Mr. Monk, and he considered that the complaint was * un justified. The letter had complained of the failure of the board to advertise any cuts fully. Referring to this, Mr. Monk said that it was too much to expect the board to advertise in the several papers which circulated in the board's area. From time to time information about cuts, supplied by the managingsecretary, appeared in the Press in local news items, which covered the situation. The situation changed so much from week to week that alterations to cut-off times and other information would require continual advertising. Mr. Keedwell suggested that a schedule of probable cut-off .times for each week be^advqrtised loeajiy^ in order to give people sbme wai'hing. . .- •••■ ? ... hr • ' General Young said that the people had now settled down to the rationing, and only appreciable changes should be advertised. A motion to the effect that any • alteration or extension of cut-off periods should be advertised locally was passed. Mr. Hornblow, referring to the letter from Mr. Wrigglesworth, said that in consideration of the disparaging nature of the letter, he felt bound to pay a compliment to the board's officers. While in the Foxton area they had shown the Utmost consideration for the consumers. Mr. Barber supported these remarks. General Matters The chairman was appointed delegate to the Supply Authorities Association Conference in Christchurch. The managing-secretaiy and engineer will also attend. The application by Messrs. G. W. Munford and W. C. Higgie for the installation of an extension bn Pretoria Road, Shannon, was dis« cussed. The application was deciined, Mr. Monk explaining that' it would be necessary to catry out changes to the line in that atea, the cost of which would be £620. When' material and lab'oiif was available, however, the installati'on Would be proceeded with. , \y'