LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4364, 11 January 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Mr R. J. Dillon, the Haur,aki Plains County engineer, tendered his resignation to the Council on Monday. The resignation was accepted.

The first electric line to be erected on the Hauraki Plains will be that from Paeroa to Netherton and Turua. It is considered that this will be the most reproductive line.

The staff .of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board was congratulated by the Board at the meeting yesterday on the displays put up at Te Aroha and Paeroa shows. Mr J. Price said the exhibitions were a credit to the staff, with which view other members concurred.

Letting work by contract, as opposed to day labour, is being favoured by the Thames Valley Electric Power Board. Members consider that where pole-erection and other \fork can be done by contract, and properly supervised, the construction could be done more cheaply and expeditiously.

In order to guard against undue delay should anything go wrong with the electric supply service the Thames Valley Electric Power Board is arranging Ifor an all-night tele-i phone connexion with Paeroa depot and, the main office, so that any breakage or fault can be reported and investigated promptly. Similar steps are being taken with other centres.

Those who claim that new peat land is not the best for crops should visit a farm near Kaihfire. The land in that particular vicinity was open-, ed up only about two years ago. Yet on one small piece of ground (perhaps an experimental plot) cereals and vegetables are growing wonderfully well. A small crop ofl maize is the outstanding feature. The maize is already about five feet high.

The relative costs of electric current and benzine were discussed at yesterday’s meeting ofl the Thames Valley Electric Power Board. Mr J. C. Miller said several people were under the erroneous impression that benzine would be cheaper than electric current. The engineer could quickly convince a farmer that for milking purposes electric current would be far cheaper than benzine. Mr Gauvain pointed out that a farmer producing 10,0001 b of butter-ffat would pay a lump sum of £2l per annum; for the next 30001 b, at l-3d per lb, which would total £25 3s 4'd.i Mr J. B. Thomas said a big dairy farmer who was using electricity told him that it cost only half of benzine, “and you don’t have to cart the benzine.” Mr Price said that those who were using electricity in his district were well satisfied with it.

In a letter dated December 20 from the Hauraki Plains County Council to a commercial firm, explaining th; financial position off the council, it was stated th,at of £7OOO of general rates .struck in 1921 only £704 had been paid to date. The letter also commented on the fact that most of the ratepayers were dairymen, who had difficulty in making payments before the New Year.

“I do not approve off suspended electric lights for streets,” said Mr W. P. Gauvain, engineer, at the meetn ing of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board yesterday. Mr Gauvain said there was a certain amount of unavoidable swaying and vibration due to wind with, suspended lights, and this told against the life of the lamps; also, the' lights were needed more near the pavements than in the centre of the road; vehicles carried their own lights, but pedestrians did not. Notwithstanding the Matamata Town Board’s preference for suspended lights, he held that the side lights were much better from several points of* view. Mr McLeod pointed out that the centre lights required extra gear and poles, whereas the side lights could be put up on the ordinary reticulation poles.

The unwisdom .off tampering with the Thames Valley Electric Power Board’s danger switches was illustrated in the outward correspondence which came before the Board yesterday. “Your son,” the letter to a certain person read, “has been ing with the Board’s poles. I wish to point out that you have made yourself liable for prosecution under the Power’ Boards Act, and I would request you to forward the cost of the damage; namely, 2s 6d, and also the sum of 15s for sending a man out to attach the danger sign again.”

“The Thames Valley Electric Power Board’s area is about 2300 square miles, which is a very large area to reticrflate. The total costs are estimated at £550,000, a loan of this amount being sanctioned, and of which £450,000 Has already been rals-i ed,” is the information sent by the engineers (Messrs Gauvain and McLeod), in writing to a Canadian firm in respect to telephones to be used on the circuit.