POWER SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2186, 26 June 1914, Page 3

POWER SUPPLY

REVISION OF CITY fARIFf. At tho last meeting of the Wc'ljilig•:ou City Council, Councillor L- M'Kenfio referred to thft "small number of connections recorded in t)io tramways >eixirt on direct enrront," ami tie <isl:ed the Tramwa'js Canwiittee .to inquire "why the wfndo jwwer supply is not under one head,"' and whether it was "not time we revised our tariff to meet competition," Tho Tramways Board had reported, on this matter, and the report, wh.icl* is as follows, was hid before the .City Council last night:*— "Tho tramway power which is direct •mrreut is distributed on an entirely different system to that of tho fllteruating current sn.p»liod ftom the lighting station. Tho direct current mates are laid underground in ducts riUMiffig in the saino trenches as the tT-amw.-iy cables, tho manholes and distribution' pillars being used for both tramway «nd i>owor purposes. Thf control of tho whole of the dis'tfib.irtioii of cumtit from the Trnma.T.j.'. Bower St'tttwiti is ill tho hands of the TratUWiiy Siiperjiitendent of the overhead 'cqwpmosit, who is thoroughly cwij'wsatit-with tte technicalities of "tho system, and the supply of the direct current wbctiier f<w tranjwav or power sitppty' purposes is Josft. ly allied in tho feeder system. Special testing jnsbruaeats wiiieh a.ro vory costly" and required for tramway j?W» poses':are installed at' tho power ste.tioh. Theso instruments Are also used for testing direct current motors, and if tho direct "power supply wore trattSfwred to the othsr dcpartmpnt, the testing-room s* the Ifebthsg station would havo to be ooiiiloeted tip- to the supply mains n:ml fq-iiipped sfc'eofisidVrable'cost, witli aaother set of testing instruments. "Reaardiim the rpiestism of rr-vlsing tho tariff. Hie "board is now eo-nstdcrmg what reduction nan he mmh in flw j present scale, and will rnpwt to tlm committee therefln at an farfj' dats.J Tlio board was of opinion that it would be inadvisable to transfer tho administrations of the direct power supply midortakina to tho 'Electric Light" nig Department. '