CENTRAL H.B. POWER BOARD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 55, 20 March 1937, Page 3

CENTRAL H.B. POWER BOARD

Our Own Corresnondentl

General Business of Meeting

(From

WAIPUKURAU, Last Night, At the monthly meeting of the Central Hawke's Bay Power Board held to-day, Mr A. C. Russell presided over the following members: Messrs W« H* Rathbone, A. C. Holms, A. W. S. ilongley, R. A. Fraser, W. A. Chambers, C. Pattison, F. J. Witherow, M. Ryan, J. A. Kerr, G. E. Fowler (secretary-man-ager) and J. K. Lee (engineer). A vote of condolence with the relatives of the late Colonel Campbell, Controller and Auditor- General, was passed in silence. A letter from Mr H. W. Thompson, Porangahau, suggesting that the board should consider a survey of the Wimbledon route via Cook's Tooth road, was received and the engineer instructed to prepare the required information. — In the course of a discussion it was stated that the discovery of bentonite deposits on Mr H. Stoddart's property would have an important bearing on the matter. "They will want electric power, if they can get it, for mining purposes," said the engineer, Mr J. K. Lee. Accounts passed for payment totalled £6709 3/3. Reports Presented Mr W. A. Chambers, in forwarding -he eoncrete pole committee's report to the board, said that at present they had enough shingle for the manufacture of 700 poles. The report read as follows: — Since last meeting of the board the work at the concrete pole depot has been pushed on. The steel is to arrive this week, so that the pole construction will eommence probably on March 30. The steel required carting immediately on arrival in Waipukurau, and a price of 4/- a ton was aeeeptod from Messrs Green^ Malkin and De Clifford. The quotation of tho same carriers for the supply of 50 yards of sharp sand over a period at 8/- per yard was accepted. Two hundred and tifty yards of chips were purchased at 16/- per yard in yard. Owing to the contractor for the Waipukurau Borough tar-sealing being held up, 83 yards was loaned to the contractor, who is replacing the same quality metal at the concrete yards, thus saving us eartage. We also purcnased 52 yards of good metal at 12/6 per yard deliverd. Vfe obtained this at an exeeptionally cheap price, due to certain exingeneies of the moment. The secretary -manager (Mr * G. E. Fowler) reported that since the last meeting oi the board there had been much activity in all departments, while the demand for information regarding electric hot water services and ranges w as very marked. The work in connection with the £10,000 loan was uow finalised and the debentures had gone forward. The £10,000 should be paid to the board 's credit during tho present week. The usual custom of forwardmg a letter at the commencement of the 'school year had again been followed, asking schools and^ Convent pupils to be warned against the danger of broken electric lines. The co-opera-tion given in the matter by the various schools and Convents was, he folt sure, appreciated by the board. In order to test the visibilify of the most inconvenientlv situated poles an experiment was mnde in painting certain poles with Oaskade aluminium enamel. Thoso poles now showed up well at night. Tho cost of materia] worked out at approximately 2/- per post. Of the 200 hardwood poles on order from Australia »

few 35ft. poles had arrived and moro were shortly due. The following additions were made to the board's lines during February: New consumers 6, electric ranges 8, hot water services 5, shearing motors 1, other motere 2,