BOROUGH ELECTRIC EXTENSIONS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 676, 21 October 1921, Page 5

BOROUGH ELECTRIC EXTENSIONS.

tender for plant accepted. ELECTRICITY GUARANTEED FOR NEXT WINTER. With stringency on the money market, the high cost of materials, and the irregularity of the Borough electric supply, the Pukekohe Borough Council has had a difficult problem to solve to provide electric energy for its numerous consumers during the .recent winter, but now the summer is .approaching the position should be considerably relieved. Residents of the Borough realised the difficulty the Council was confronted with, and they are to be congratulated on the spirit shown during the serious breakdown at the power house. Certainly there was cause for annoyance on various occasions, but they should also bear in mind that for months past the Council has been endeavouring to make arrangements to overcome the difficulty. As a matter of fact, when tenders were called for the provision of plant for the proposed electric extensions, it was anticipated that the power would have been available for the'winter just past, but the excessive prices of materials and the tightness of the financial position as stated above, was the real cause of all the inconvenience.; consumers were put to during the 1 last moiVth oir so. Of course, an extravagant Council could have accepted a tender, based on the abnormal values, and therefore could have provided electric energy at great cost to the ratepayers, but in the present Council Pukekohe is fortunate in having representatives with the knowledge that they ewe a duty to the tax-payer, even if they and the latter have to put up with considerable inconvenience. As far as the electric business is concerned the Council, or rather the Electric lighting Committee, has used tact and judgment in the handling of tenders for such an undertaking. The deliberations up to the present have been in committee, and at all times the Electric Committee has brought down , certain recommendations, after the most careful consideration, which the full Council has appreciated, and the ratepayers would have too, had they known the posi l tion. The Council has spent considerable time, endeavour after endeavour, to come to some arrangejnent, financially and otherwise, in the best interests of the Borough as a whole. This has been one of the causes of the dfelayi, and the ratepayers will appreciate the fact when the whole position is revealed. At Monday’s meeting of the Council matters' in connection with the electric position were again considered. The consulting engineer (Mr A. J. Walker,), the electrical engineer (Mr W. Wyatt), and representatives from Messrs X J. Niycu ‘ an d Co., electrical engineers, were present, in addition to the full Council. Mr Walker explained at length the plant ft is proposed to instal, and with Mr Wyatt, recommended the acceptance of Messrs J. J. Niven s tender of £9415, to provide plant. It was pointed out that this was the immediate proposal to build up the plant to 209 h.p., as against 164 h.p. This was based on the assumption that the broken-down engine would not be recommissioned. This additional plant will tide matters over for a period of twelve months from the time of switching on. With the cost of installation, other essentials), and extensions, the cost will be in • the vicinity of £12,000. Mr Walker stated that the plant would be an alternating current one, in conformity with the Government scheme, so that as soon as the power was available .from the Government they could switch on without any extra cost.

As soon as the new plant is installed the Council, will be in a position to meet the demand of local' people for electric energy, including a number of factories, who are clamouring for power. The present systern is the direct current one, and in view of transferring to A.C. the Council has up to the present advised people likely to use motors in their factories to hang off until the A.C. plant was ready for use. This little hint, no doubt, has saved fac r tory-owners, who desired to instal motors to drive machinery, considerable expense. A D.C. motor is of no tise with an A.C. system. Mr Walker stated that the tender was reasonable, in view of the present stattf of the market. The firm was Offering a really good article. The tender showed a drop of nearly £4OOO. on the original tender. The Mayor moved that Messrs Niven and Cb’s tendter be; accepted, and that the engineers arrange details in connection! with the plant to be supplied as soon as' possible. Cr > Pattefsbn seconded, and stated that the Council could not » 'do better than to instal a National plant; The motion was carried unanimously* , , v , , Mr Hansard, for Niven and C 0.,; stated that from the time the ordpr Was placed it, would take about three and a haf indnths to land the goods at Pukekohe; but he. assured the Council thdt everything possible would be done to urge immediate despatch. Mr Russell, for Niven and Co., thanked the Council for accepting his firm’s tender. All through the negotitions had been AX at Uoyd’s.

Messrs Niven’s representatives were accorded a heatry vote of thanks for attending the meeting.