GREY POWER BOARD

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1937, Page 2

GREY POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The chairman (Mr J. Mulcare) presided at the monthly meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board last evening. There were also present Messrs J. Smeaton A. Robinson, W. Clayton, A. H. McKane. J. Unwin. W. H. Parfitt. An apology was received from Mr J. B. Kent. The Westland Provincial Centennial Executive advised that a thesis on West Coast mineralogy would be conducted in connection with the New Zealand Centennial in 1940. The Finance Committee report stated the bank account as follows: Balance O/d. 1/4/37 £12,575 10s 2d; payments to 31/8/37, capital £10,361 17s 8d and revenue £23,413 17s 9d; receipts from loan a/c. £6000; receipts £26,054 12s; balance O/d. 31/8/37 £14,296 13s 7d. The revenue for the last reading is: Town £2423 5s Id, country £2920 3s; total £5343 8s Id. The total for this year to date is £22,56-3 14s 7d. A conference was held between the County Clerk, Secretary of this Board and the Government ' 'Audit Inspector leading to agreement as to the amount payable re Grey County election expenses. The audit of accounts for the year ending March 31, 1937, is completed and we await return of the certified balance sheet from the Audit Office. It is recommended: That accounts amounting to £4284 7s be passed for payment; that the Board accept the offer for the lease of the morgue as a sun-station; that a similar grant as last year be made, namely £5, to the Plunket Society; that the remits of the Power Board’s Conference be left in the hands of the Board’s delegates; that the Women’s Institute letter re rest room be received and no action be taken; that regarding the Westland Provincial Centennial Organisation, the Board agreed to the allocation as set forth in the schedule accompanying the letter from the organisation dated September 6, 1937; and tliat the Board communicate with the Mayor of Greymouth requesting him to convene a meeting of representatives of the Centennial Committee for the Grey district, in connection with the local celebrations; that Mr J. Denford commence negotiations when he takes office With regard to raising the £15,000 loan, and in addition that the Board’s delegates Messrs Mulcare and McKane, endeavour- to carry negotiations further whilst at the conference at Wellington; that the matter of Rotomanu Farmers’ Union and electricity amounts be referred to the chairman and executive officers for a report at the next meeting; that the letter from the Loans Board regarding application for the loan of £15,000 be received. The report was adopted. The Engineer, Mr Sinclair Trotter, reported that for the five weeks ending September 19, there were 1239.890 units generated, the maximum demands for the successive weeks being, 2214, 2196, 2214, 2160 and 2268 k.w. The weekly load factor was 70.3 per cent, and the lowest 63.2 per cent. The units purchased from Westland Power Ltd. fof*- the period August 16 to September 20 inclusive were 195,205 wit ha max. demand of 421 k.w. Total purchase to September 20, 1937, 335,640 units. The units delivered to the system from the Blackball generator from the period August 16 to Septemper 18 inclusive were 97,401 and the maximum demand 240 kilowats. The units fed to system (5 weeks) totalled 1,552,496; maximum demand for period on Auguse 16 at 11.30 a.m., 2929 kilowatts. The ouside staff have been engaged on general maintenance at Totara Flat, Ikamatua and Greymouth, and on line deviations in various areas as well as connecting new consumers. Annual earth testing, etc., in accordance with Public Works regulations has been almost completed, the Rewanui line being the only remaining circuit to finish. The total number of new consumers connected was 39, making the total consumers connected to date 4105. Extensions and alterations to existing consumers installations was 77, and 27 new radio sets were installed. The connected load now is 14,233 kilowats.

Mr Clayton asked the Engineer if any difficulty was being experienced in meeting the power demand. The Engineer said that they were just making ends meet. The Barrytown dredge owners were installing a big pump for water, but he did not expect that it would create any difficulty. It would be about 100 h.p. but he could not say when it would be ready. The tendency for the power demand to decrease was not very appreciable. The Arnold dam had been very low, but there was now an overflow of 2* feet in the restricted area. Mr McKane: How are the Public Works Department getting on with the apron? The Engineer: Slow as yet. They are evidently going to do the job in a much bigger way than we did, but so far not done much. Mr Clayton said that extra demands would not matter much when the Dobson deisel plant was working. The Engineer said that it would pay to have that going immediately. Mr Parfitt: When will it be ready? The Engineer: I cannot, of course speak for the Government, but I have been told that one engine will be ready by the end of November. Mr Clayton: What will it generate? The Engineer said that although the engine was rated at 1200 k.w„ he expected it to generate 1000 k.w. To Mr Unwin: x'he Public Works Department is concentrating on getting one engine ready. The chairman said that the urgency of having the power available from Dobson had been stressed upon the Department. Mr Unwin: The five months was a little out of line. Mr Smeaton said that the job had been a big one, and there had been a great deal of work in the foundations alone. The chairman said that he had received a complaint from Mr Fletcher, Brunner Track, that broken wires had burned and spoiled his fences. The Engineer said that he would attend to the matter.