INCREASED POWER SALES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 94, 15 January 1935, Page 4

INCREASED POWER SALES

Manawatu Board’s Figures Palmerston North, January 1-1. Tlie financial statement for the eight months of the current financial year to December 31, presented to this afternoon’s meeting of the Manawatu-Orou.'i Power Board, disclosed an increase of £3396/18/- in the sales of electric current during that period, compared with the corresponding period of hist year. 'Pile managing-secretary, Mr. K. W. Eglinton, said that the power sales to December 31 totalled £50,228/15/6, compared with £46,831/17/5 during the same period of last year. The purchase of current during the same period had increased by £lOBO from £25.260 for the nine months of last year, compared with £26,340 for the same period of the present year. The engineer. Mr. W. A. Waters, reported that lightning storms during December hail caused trouble. The lightning arresters at Rangiohi had been shattered with a direct stroke. On January 2 a lightning storm passed over tlie Halconiibe, Kakarika and Mt. Biggs area. The storm was fairly severe, and a number of service fuses were blown. During the dry spell prior to Christmas. said Mr. Waters, grass fires threatened power poles on several occasions, and members of the staff had been calhsl ont periodically to assist in combating these outbreaks.

Mr. J. Noble, schoolmaster, of Christchurch, is paying a short visit (o Greytown. Mr. Noble married Miss G. Keedwell, of Greytown, and was a teacher there for some time before going to the Lansdowne School. Masterton. From there he went to Caiiterhury. Mr. Noble was a member of tlie Greylown bund and later conductor of the Masterton orchestra.