POWER BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1933, Page 2

POWER BOARD

WESTLAND BODY’S MEETING

A meeting of the Board was held at the County Chambers at 3.40 o’clock yesterday. Present: Messrs -J. A. Murdoch (in the chair), T. R.' Chestermau, T. .W. Bruce, B. Ward, T. W. Duff, and i>. P. Stuart. An apology was received for the absence of Mr W. Jeffries, out of town, and from Mr F. Selby, indisposed.

Tlie minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed and the outward correspondence wag approved. The County Clerk the appointment of Mr W. ; Jeffries to the vacancy on the Board.—Received with • approval. -

The Income Tax Department asked for returns of contracts let.—Received, Clerk replied. The Mines .Department notified the position of the Kumara • water i ace account, now standing at £5985, and intimated the Company had made application for a further postponement of capital and interest.—Received. The Chairman moved that the application he supported pointing out the construction work being carried out by the Company was increasing the, power MciUties. The Company had been responsible also for absorbing surplus labour in the northern district, and should be encouraged to continue its construction ,and reticulation work. Mr Duff seconded the motion.

Mr J. 8. .Langford, who was present, explained, the-position in regard to the work -in hand, and said wjt-h other applications coming in, there was a call for available capital to extend the Company’s facilities to meet the demands. . Some, forty men were t employed 'at Callaghans. ’ Tn reconditioning the; Dillman’s tunnel at a cost, of £1530 about thirty men were engaged. The unemployment formerly prevailing in the district had been relieved.

Mr Ward supported approving the Company’s, request. The Company had spent' £60,000 in the district and had created work, which had staved off the depression for many workers. Mr Stuart also supported, and said these mining activities should be. encouraged* t The -fnotipnj'vt^s'parked:. .J;;j In regard to Mr Ward’s requests, Mr Langford. .'Stated; f.' tlie t j claim at Callaghans would be starting operations in about a fortnight’s time. j. In that connection about* £BOOO had been spent in‘development work. ; A ; dredging proposal in , the .north' was now in hand, also a cp-operative. min- j ing claim on the drag-line afid eleva- 1 ting f principle. • Ai“ further/, mining scheme on the lines of Lawson Flat, was also in .hand. By he , thought • another . fifty men would he_ employed on these new mining propositions. The remarks made ■ were . considered if cry'- encouraging as to the ' mining ’pfroiipeots; of; the .district, due in the'main to the introduction of hydro electric.'.. power- by / Westland j Power Ltd. , derived from the Kumara water races. ,:••' , , / .. * The manual; balance sheet was pre-

sent and approved. An account, for £SO was passed for payment. Mr Clayton who was present was introduced by Mr Ward, and welcomed by the Chairman, who outlined the operations of the Board. Mr Clayton thanked the members for their welcome and expressed pleasure at being present. He was a member of the Grey Power Board, tlie income of which had now reached £34,0C0. The Board was progressive, and the district was reaping tlie advantage in the increased conveniences. Mr Langford said Mr Hauler, Mayor

of Kumara, was in communication with him about reticulating tlie Borough. The former steps in a similar direction had been vetoed by a counter petition. It was a question .whether the Borough would come into the power district and be under the Board, of whether the Board would give the Company power to deal separately with the Borough outside the area.

The Chairman said the Board would he glad to consider a concrete proposal on the matter, and would hear the Borough representatives at a special meeting if they cared, to attend.

Mr Langford said he would get into touch with tbo Mayor again and sngcrest a conference, when the matter could be dealt with formally by the Board. This suggestion was accepted. In connection with the letter from the Mines Department it was resolved further to suggest in view of the active operations of the Company in promoting industrial ventures, and being the indirect means of creating more general employment, that arrears cf interest due be capitalised. It ' was ? pointed out the expc4idititre on the races and reticulation was capital outlay adding materially to the value of the property a ns promoting the mining interests of the district. The meeting rose at 4.20 p.m.