ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4524, 7 February 1923, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

GENERAL MEETING. 'i’iie Thames Valley Electric Power Board met yesterday. present: Messrs F. H. Claxton (chairman), JBell, C. A. Arthur, J. B. Thomas. J. W. Anderson, J. Price, J. Pohlen, F E. Flatt, A. Robinson, and P. Grace. The clerk (Mr R. Sprague) and the engineers (Messrs W. Gauvain and G. McLeod) were also in attendance. A WELCOME. The chairman, in opening the meeting, said he was very pleased r o meet the members again at the opening of a now year. He was also particularly pleased to see Mr Price there, and trusted he was now well on the way to restoration of health. This year would, he trusted, be as happy and successful as the one just completed. FINANCE. The chairman gave details of h : s negotiations to procure a loan of £lOO,OOO. and. said the Bank of New Zealand had agreed to supply £25,000. while the A.M.P. Society (Australia) would supply £75,000. He explained that the money would be avialable <n satisfactory instalments. The offers referred to were accepted. ARRANGEMENTS' APPRECIATED. The Matamata branch of the Farmers’ Union expressed its appreciation of the Board’s ararngements for dealing with temporary breakdowns. CONNECTIONS AT NGATEA. • The NZ. Dairy Co. asked for permis’s.'on to connect up a motor on a winch at the Ngatea wharf, and to link up employees’ houses at the Ngatea factory. The connections were authorised. CHARGING FOR POWER. The Danhevirke Power Board asked for support to the following resolution : “That the system of charging for power at £lO per k.v.a. for the first. 200' k.v.a. bears heavily on the new and smaller boards,, and should be .abolished, as they are in the initial stages of their development and consequently require favourable considerations, whereas, under the present conditions the high rate for the first 200 k.v.a. is out of all proportion for the first few years of operation.” The writers pointed out that ;this resolution had been carried at the recent conference, and urged the necessity for united action. 1 The chairman said the board should express its readiness to co-operate, and moved accordingly. The motion was carried. . TURUA’S WANTS. ( The Turua Town Board asked what charge would be made for installing each street light. The chairman said the .writers had been informed that the quotations given included everything. A NGATEA COMPLAINT, A Spence, Orchard East (Road, Ngatea, expressed surprise and annoyance at the action of the Board in having removed his motor without giving any explanation. The. chairman said the 'small demand for power in that, road would •not warrant a line going down, and the one motor sent there had been taken away. APPLICATION FROM KAIHERE. R. R. Dibble asked when electricity would be available at Kaihere. He was milking 100 cows and desired to instai a power plant. The manager and engineer were instructed to find put the exact, locatoin and communicate with the applicant accordingly. OKAUAI. DISTRICT. Mr Pohlen asked the Board to undertake a canvass of the Okauai district. The manager said instructions had been given for the work to be done. Mr Pohlen said several settlers in that district were crying out for power. TAURANGA-O-MOANA. Mr Price said a number of settleis of Taura nga-piMoana had asked him when the power would be available there. The manager said 60 poles were finished, and the wiring gang was ready to gqfon. Bad weather had interrupted carting operations. If the roads were all right the work would go on next week. ' STOPPAGES IN SUPPLY. Mr J. Bell complained of several stoppages in supply to Morrinsville, and asked if something could riot be done to improve matters. The. engineer said that, once they had a connection with Waihou, for which they were now negotiating, the-e would be a great improvement in the service. Instructions were, given, he said, that in the event of a breakdown farmers should be considered first. MANAGEMENT. Mr Miller said he honed the management would never allow itself, to be coaxed into doing Unes that, were not payable while there wore payable lines to do. Would it, he asked, be necessary at a later date to raise a loan ? The chairman said they would find that developments would compel them to face expenditure that was not art. ticipated in the first place. They would have to look ahead. A little later the need for further expenditure would come before them, together with the necessity for extensions. He supposed they had at the present tinv' sufficient finance to carry on for two years. But the expenditure would have to be tabled off to at least £5OOO per month. On the motion of Mr Thomas it was decided that the chairman an;i manager should report on any point that might lead to economy in working.