POWER BOARD WORK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4347, 25 November 1921, Page 4

POWER BOARD WORK.

ENGINEERS’ ANNUAL REVIEW. INCREASED CONSUMPTION NEEDED. FOR SELF-SUPPORTING SCHEME. A comprehensive review of the work undertaken by the Thames Valley Power Board'during the year was submitted to the Board by the engineers (Messrs Gauvain and McLeod) at the annual meeting on Tuesday, as follows : “We beg to report on the work carried out during the year ending November 17, 1921. RETICULATION. Good progress has been made in the general reticulation of the district, but it has not been so rapid as we would have wished owing to two main” features over which we had no control, viz., (1) non-delivery of material. and (2) finance. In the early part of the year delivery was bad, and it was an extremely difficult matter to obtain material, in consequence of which it was impossible to carry out the work as originally intended and certain sections suffered. The position has now improved, and material is coming forward more rapidly ,but even at the present time several contractors have exceeded the specified dates of delivery.. BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION. The second point which affected the progress of the scheme 'was that of finance. From March, 1921, for six months after it was .impossible to increase the number of working gangs, and only- very small quantities of material were ordered. Since the loan was floated on the London market there has been increased activity, more gangs have been started), work has been laid out well ahead, and the v'h'ol'' organisation has been improved so that it is confidently anticipated that the progress for the coming

i twelve months will greatly exceed i the work carried out during the past ) i year., WORK OF MAGNITUDE. It must be realised that in carrying out work of the magnitude of the Board’s operations a considerable 1 amount of preliminary detail work has to be done and that some time must necessarily elapse before everything’ is working smoothly. Another point which should not be lost sight of is the large size of the area under the Board’s control, and the consequent impossibility of certain sections of this area obtaining power for some time to come. ECONOMIC LIMIT OF CONSTRUCj , TION. It is obviously in the interests of everyone concerned to accelerate progress as much as possible,, but the cost of carrying out the work must receive full consideration, and there is an economic limit to the rate of construction. The question of transport is one of' the governing factors), and' this has received careful study as the result of numerous conferences between the chairman, the secretarymanager, .and ourselves... Labour has latterly been plentiful, but the price continues to be hign and is an important factor in the total cost of the undertaking. DISTRICT DEPOTS AND STOCKS. The main depot at Te Aroha is now in course of construction, and when completed will consist of the main offices of the Board, showroom), storerooms, and general repair shops and test rooms. . The depots at Paeroa and Matamata have both been erected during the year, and at both these places, and also at Te Arolia, storage sheds have been built. A contract lias recently been let for the Moi'i’insviLle depot), and work wid start on this a,t once. ft is proposed to keep stocks of motors, accessories, and spares at all depots, and generally these places

will be the Board’s, headquarters of the various districts in which they are built and the farmers will be ab’e to obtain accessories, information, and advice from the staffs who will b© stationed in these depots and who will supervise the working of the various areas. SUPPLY TO TOWNS. The Borough of Paeroa was the first to obtain power in the Board’s area, and incidentally it is interesting to note that it is the first town in New Zealand to obtain power from a power board constituted under the Power Boards Act, 191'8, Power ,was supplied to this town on March 11, 1921, the official .opening taking place or. March 29, when the Hon. J.-G. Coates, Minister for Public Works, switched, on the current. Te Aroha was the next town to receive power, which was switched on on September 3, 1921, and power was supplied to the town of Matamata on November 15, 1921. Te Aroha previously had its own electric installation, and power is being sold to this town in bulk. In the case of 1 both Paeroa .and Matamata tho Board carried out the reticulation, amounting to about 14 miles in the case of Paeroa and about 9 miles m Matamata. A start is about to be made on .the reticulation of the Box’; ough of Morrinsville. GENERAL RETICULATION; The chief reticulation work done has been in connection with the construction of the main 11,000-volt transmission lines. The first line r.o be built was that from the Government sub-station at Waikino to the town of Paeroa, and was an extremely difficult and expensive piece of construction. This main line has been continued on to Te Aroha, and from there towards Morrinsville. Tn date poles are erected nearly up to Tatuanui. Another main line runs from th J main switching station at Paeroa to supply the Hauraki Plains and Thames. This line is erected as far

as Netherton, and a start has also been made on the Thames Road from the end of Hubbard’s Road. In the southern end of the Board’s area the main 11,000-vplt line has been built frpm the Hprahpra power station to the town of Matamata, and * continuation of this line will reaen Waharoa in the course of the next few days. In the 3309-vplt area a start has been made on the Waihou section, and about 21 miles of line have been erected and brought into use. Work is continuing on this section, and as each particular portion is finished it will be coupled up to the main circuit. Work has started on the 3300-woit area from Hopkins Corner to reticulate the Peria Road district. The 400-300-vplt lines for supplying the farms are being run in most cases either on the 11,000-volt pr the 3300-vo.lt poles, thereby effecting a considerable saving in line construction. The following summary gives an indication of the amount of work done on the various lines, and the number of sub-stations erected. ' Transmission lines erected. —11,000 volts, single circuit, 94 miles ; 3300 volts, .21 miles ; 400 volts, 34 miles ; town reticulation, 23 miles; total, 172 miles. In addition to the above 13 miles of pole line is erected, on which wiring has actually started or will be started very shortly. The transformers erected to date are as follows : 11,000 volts to 400 volts, 14 ; 11,000 volts to 3300 volts', 9 ; 3300 volts to 400 volts, 8 ; total, 31. POST & TELEGRAPH & RAILWAY DEPARTMENTS. During the year we have forwarded applications, accompanied by thirtyeight drawings, for telegraph and railway crossings. In connection with the Post and Telegraph Department we would point out that considerable atlerations will have to be made to their lines owing to the fact that, in some cases, this Department has utilised both sides of the roads. The various officials of this Department have met us in every way,, but there seems considerable difficulty in getting these alterations made, and in order that the Board’s work may not be delayed we have offered the Department the use of the Board’s men and material in order’ to accelerate work. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. We are now in negotiation with this Department regarding the supply of power to the large dried milk factories at Waitoa and Waharoa, and if these negotiations prove successful we hope to be in the position to supply these factories at an early date. GENERAL SUPPLY.. Up to the time of writing some 868 consumers are obtaining power and light from the Board’s mains. Included in this number are 101 farms. FARMERS THE MAINSTAY. We would, at this stage, like to emphasise the fact that it is very essential for the financial success of the undertaking .that all farmers avail themselves of the opportunity of the use of' this power. Owing to .the high price of material and labour and the consequent heavy capital costs, it is only by the expensive use of this power that it is possible to put the scheme On a sound financial basis, and all ratepayers should realise that it is only under these conditions .that it can be self-supporting.