POWER BOARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20103, 24 November 1939, Page 5

POWER BOARD

STAFF ENLISTMENTS INDUSTRIAL AWARDS ACCOUNTS IN ARREARS P.B. BOARD’S MEETING Most of the business dealt with at the monthly meeting of the Poverty Bay Electric-Power Board to-day was formal in character, . much of the correspondence already having been dealt with by the finance committee and the results submitted in the form of recommendations. Rcporis from executive officers were short, there having been no major developments during the month.

Those present were Messrs. F. R. Ball, chairman, 11. H. DeCosta, A. A. Fraser. C. W. Izod. S. H. Phillips. J. E. Benson, J. 11. Hall. T. Corson. M. T. Trafl'ord, B. J. Holdsworth, and C. E. Mills, with flic managing-secretary, Mr. R. P. Baigcnt, and the engineer. Mr. F. Matthewson. also in attendance.

The board accepted an invitation from the Gisborne Thirty-Thousand Club to appoint official representatives to act as members of the club in promoting public amenities in Gisborne. Messrs. F. R. Ball and C. W. Ix.od were appointed. The finance committee recommended. in respect of the enlistment of members of the staff, that as a general principle no subsidy should Ire granted to the soldiers’ rale of pay, but that the board reserve tiie right to deal with any individual case on its merits. The recommendation was adopted.

Award for Each Island A report of an executive meeting oi the Electric-Power Boards’ Union of Employers, held recently, was read. The principle of a Dominion award was discussed at the union executive meeting, which recommended that for the meantime the objective should be limited to obtaining awards for the North Island and South Island respectively.

The letter was received, the chairman commenting that it seemed the union was taking a step in the direction of a Dominion award, which was generally recognised as ultimately desirable.

The finance committee recommended that the managing-secretary be instructed to meet a recently-developed difficulty in collecting over-due accounts by a strict adherence to the practice of cutting off supply summarily where accounts were two months in arrears, and no satisfactory arrangements for liquidation were offered by the consumers in arrears.

The placing of an order for approximately 450 lamps was approved, and the tender of Messrs. Richardson, McCabe and Company, Limited, for the supply of four miles of street-lighting cable was accepted. Departmental Reports The engineer reported that the maximum half-hourly demand on the Public Works Department during October. 1939, was 2700 <k.v.a.. the comparative figure for the previous year being 2340 k.v.a., the percentage increase being 15.38 per cent. The maximum half-hourly demand on the Board's system was 3215 k.v.a.. as against 2482 k.v.a., the increase being equivalent lo 29.53 per cent. Three ■ interruptions of supply, one of which was pre-arranged lor repair purposes. had occurred during October.

The engineer also reported upon a number of departmental developments. including high-tension and low-<lcnsion extensions, installations of street lighting for the new State houses, and additions to transformer capacity to deal with the increasing load. The report was adopted,