ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4448, 2 August 1922, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

august meeting. The ordinary inbnthly meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board was held at Te Aroha yesterday, Mr F. H. Claxton .presiding. Also present were Messrs C. AArthur, X B, Thomas, J. Bell, F. E. Flatt, J. Price, J. PpWlen, J. W. Anderson. P. Grace, J. C. Miller, J. McCormick, and A. R- Robinson. The engineers (Messrs Gauvain and McLeod) and the manager-secretary (Mr R. Sprague) were also in attendr anoe.

The Ohinemuri County clerk notified that Cr. A. R. Robinson had been appointed to represent the county on the Board, to succeed Mr F. M. Strange.

It was decided to offer £8 towards the cost of replacing a horse that was electrocuted at Waihou a few weeks ago. The owner said he did not blame the Board for the fatality, but as it was a case o£ hardship :he asked for assistance. It was stated in explanation of the offer of £8 that the horse had touched a wire that was being tested before being made alive.

A Matamata farmer wrote pointing out the difference in charges for kerosene and electricity for a milking plant to deal .with 100 cows. He wrote: “We ran the kerosene engine hardly 40 weeks, and it averaged one tin per week. Forty tins at 8s 6d, £l7; electricity, between £3O and £40.”

Mr Robinson said the petition was a serious one for the dairymen.

Mr Price pointed but .that there were other charges against the use of kerosene or other power,. For instance, lubrication had not been allowed. for; and better working conditions were an advantage of electricity that would be hard to estimate. Cartage Of kerosene to the farm was another charge not included. Mr Anderson said some flannels were keen on linking up to aval themselves ofl the cheapest service. The writer, was a straight and conscientious man .and his figures were fairly reliable. Some people wanted a long length of wire merely to light their homes. They should take the whole installation and service into consideration. . Mr McCormick said many farmers had engines installed, and hesitated to discard them in favour of electric motors. Mr Robinsop said he found kerosene engines somewhat cheaper for a milking plant, but Ke used electricity as a general advantage. When he had linked up he anticipated there would be a reduction in charges. Mr Thomas mentioned that if ratepayers did not link up generally a rate would have to be struck. They would then have to pay something for nothing—and that was not a thing farmers favoured. The chairman said the mandate .from the ratepayers was overwhelming. He anticipated that doubters now would sobn realise the advantages of using eletcricity, and then it would be of universal service. The present charges were subject to alteration and would, as soon as possible. be reduced, but that could not be done until the demand for power was heavier and more universal.

The manager and engineers were authorised to arrange with the Rising Sun Goldmining Co. for. a greater supply of power to the mines, which are situated near the main transmission line from Waikino to Paeroa. Advice was received from a Wellington firpi of electrical engineers that all copper wire from Australia will be admitted duty free.

A protest, through the Dairy Fanners’ Union, by .the Brookfield branch at tlhe alleged inadequate return given by the Power Board workmen for their money, and the want of system in the management, was read. The Board's inspector’s report on the matter was read, and. the figures he supplied as to time and cost ; of labour erecting poles were considered satisfactory.

The chairman said all ratepayers were ■shareholders in the company and they were justified in bringing matters such as this under the notice of the Board. In this case, however, the charge was obviously not proven. He trusted that the matter was satisfactory to .all concerned. Mr L. Birks, chief electrical engine eer, Public Works Department, forwarded a copy of proposed new regulations at present, in the hands of the Crown Law Office. Comments and suggestions were invited. —Received.

■ The Southland Electric Power Board wrote asking for information bearing on the Board's : practice in dealing with certain administrative matter.—The manager stated that he had supplied the information desired. The Piako County clerk suggested th<A a large scale map of the whole of tue Board's area should be hung on the walls of the board-room. Besides being of great service to members, the map would, probably serve to improve the condition of the room.—The chairman stated tfiat it is proposes later on to hang such a map.

Mr T. MacLennen, district electrical engineer, Public Works Department reported having inspected the low tension lines of Paeroa and Morrlnsville, also the ll,ooorvolt double circuit line between Mangaiti and Waito,a. and pointed out three slight faults. Some, of t,he wires require restraining and crossarm double arming, and if such is necessary this should be fixed to the next pole—Received.

'The Auckland Provincial Employers’’ Association advised that at the Conciliation Council the Union had strenuously objected to exclusion ot the Power Board from the provision of the electrical workers’ dispute,, and as a consequence the commissioner Had referred all applications for exemption to the Arbitration Court. Received. The Board’s foreman in charge of unloading poles from the boat at Kopu on to trucks and delivering them to the railway station there, re ported that the cost of unloading from the boat was Is lid per pole and trucking and delivering to the station was £3 5s 2d per truck. To Mr Thomas the engineer stated

that the line from Te Arojia to Manawaru was erected rather more than half way. A line had been taken to the Gordon crusher, but was not yet in use. To Mr Flatt Mr McLeod stated that the cable wire across the riven at the Puke, Paeroa, was laid, but connection had not been effected owing to the delay of the Public Works Department who had offered to send a dredge to assist in the work. The chairman reported that lately a large quantity of erossarms had been unloaded with poles front Australia by the ‘‘Limdstof’ at Kopu. The price was right, and the erossarms appeared .to him to be even better than any obtained locally. Mr Flatt moved that all moneys to have been paid as from April 1 as chairman’s honorarium be paid to the acting-chairman, Mr F. H. Claxton. —Agreed to. The treasurer reported that, at date the Loan Fund is in credit about £107,C00 ofj the lo,an money to come to hand. The chairman intimated that he intended to visit Wellington when the Dominion conference of delegates from power boards is arranged, and he would then discuss several matters with the Minister, heads of departments, and the financial authorities.