5000 CONSUMERS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 49, 22 November 1926, Page 5

5000 CONSUMERS

HUTT POWER BOARD'S , ACHIEVEMENT The chairman of the Hutt Valley Power Board (Air. A. J McCurdy) gave a banquet and dance to members of the stall and their wives and friends at Upper Hutt on Friday night to celebrate the linking up of the silOOtli consumer of electric current. Among those present were: Airs, and Miss McCurdy, Mr. W. H. P. Barber, Mr., Mrs., and Miss Kissel, Mr. H. Jay, Mr. Mather, Air. H. I’., Toogood, Mr. Beale and Airs. Beale, Air. and Mrs. Kirtly, Mr. H. Foley, Mr. and Mrs. A. Howell, Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. W. Greig, Alessrs. C. L. A. Spearman and 11 E. Lodge (secretary to the board), and the resident power board representatives from Eastbourne, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Tawa Flat, Johnsonville, and Plimmerton. In a speech of welcome, Air. AlcCurdy stated that outside of the four main centres the Hutt Valley Board was now third in the list of power boards in relation to the number of subscribers linked up, the two having the greater numbers being Thames Valiev and Southland. But at the rate of increase recorded last year and the number of applications still coming in—lso so far this month—the Hutt Valley would be on top by March 31 next year. He emphasised that the growing demand was the result of the confidence the subscribers had in the scheme, and the policy of the board of increasing the facilities to consumers where reticulation could be carried out on a paying basis. Not one penny of the additional £150,000 loan proposal would be asked for till the board was satisfied of an assured revenue to meet the interest and sinking fund. Air. AlcCu-rdy congratulated Air. F. T. M. Kissel, Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department, on the difficulties he had surmounted and the work he had completed Mr, Kissel said the Public Works Department looked quite fondly on the Hutt Valley scheme, as it thought it was going to be of greater value than some of the others. The valley was a thickly populated area, and he hoped that in time the 50,000 mark would follow the 5000 one. Air. H. F. Toogood, consulting engineer to the board, complimented the Power Board’s employees on the manner in which they had co-operated and carried out their work.