ELECTRIC POWER

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4536, 7 March 1923, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER

THAMES VALLEY BOARD. MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Thames Valley Klectric Power Board was held at the Board’s offices yesterday. Present: Messrs F. H. Claxton (chairman), F. E. Flatt, J. C. Miller, J. Poh.en, J. McCormick, J. Price, JW. Anderson, J. B. Thomas, J. Bell, C. A. Arthur, and the manager-secre-tary. Mr R. Sprague. The consulting engineers, Messrs Gauvain and McLeod. were also in attendance. MINIMUM CHARGE. A letter from tlie Motumaoho branch of the Dairy Farmers' Union pointed out that the minimum charge of £2l for power for milking machine motors placed some out of reach of the small farmer with a herd of, say, 30 cows or under, and the Union suggested reducing the minimum charge to about £l5. It 'was noticed, however, that the Board had suggested putting in one h.p motors for small herds at a minimum charge of £lO 10s for 3500'1b of butter fat, increasing gradually to £2l per 70001 b butter-fat. But as yet the position was not quite clear, as the man with the one h.p. motor would be put in an unfair position compared with the man with the 2 h.p. motor, for when the former, with the 1 h.p motor, produced 70 : 00lt> of butter-fat a year he would be paying the same as the man with the 2 h.p. motor, although he had only one-half the amount of power available should he require it. In conclusion the Union suggested that the .minimum charge for a 1 h.p. niotor be on the basis of £lO 10s up to 35001 b of butter-far, and be increased at l-3d per lb. for every additional pound of butter-fat produced over that quantity in the same way as for the 2 h.p. motor when the butter-fat, per year reached over 70001 b . Working on this basis it would be seen that the charge for power for, a 1 h.p. motor when the supply of butter-fat reached 70001 b would be £l5 7s instead of £2l. Mr Gauvain said it was just a question of minimum poweij, and when a 2 h.p. motor was installed the basis worked on was as equitable as possible without reducing the peak load. It was decided that the Board at the present time could not, recommend any reduction. The chairman said the reduction could , not take place during the Board’s present system of revenue. TRANSFER OF RIDINGS. With reference to the proposed transfer of the Maungautatari and Karapiro ridings to the Cambridge Electric Power District, that Board advised that a survey of the suggest- • ed boundaries is being carried out; and after the completion of same a report would be prepared for the discussion between both -boards. The chairman moved that the secretarj acknowledge receipt of the letter, and suggest that the proposed conference be expedited. SUPPLY OF TRANSFORMERS. Hodder and Folley and Sons, Wellington, advised having received a cable from London that a supply of transformers had been shipped.It was stated that there was a shortage of transformers and some work had been “hung up on the Hauraki Plains on account of the shoreage. \ , POWER BOARD ELECTIONS. The Board’s solicitors advised that the Power Board elections would be conducted under /Section 8 of the Electric Power Boards Act, 1918. On the day of the election of its own members, each constituent district elects its power board member. Each elector had one vote. It was electors, Not ratepayers only, but all electors. Each local authority called for nominations and ran its own election for the power board. The voting papers were of a different colour from those provided for its own members. The returning officer of each local authority would act in the usual manner. The solicitors advised that this letter had been supplied to all county clerks ami borough clerks in the - Board’s area. Mr Thomas said that in the boroughs it meant that all electors had a vote, while in the counties only ratepayers were eligible. ' Mr Flatt: An ordinary eledtjor in a county cannot vote under those condi--

tions. Th? Chairman: It is a case of one ratepayer one vote. Mr Flatt said it certainly appeared that all electors could vote in the boroughs, but. only ratepayers in the counties. The. Chairman: That is so. Mr McCormick said that if the ratepayers’ rates were unpaid they would not be eligible to vote. Th? Chairman: He won’t be on the’ roll. The roll is made up of ratepayers in the county who have paid thei” county rates. The local body conducts the election, and whatever qualifications he has in the county he 1 has on the power board elections. Mr McCormick : I don’t think this is right. Mr Price said that complications would arise between the Hauraki Plains County Council and the Turua Town Board. Mr Fla.tt said there should be an amendment in the Act. Mi- Price said that 30’0 ratepayers in the Hauraki Plains County Council' would have a vote, and also 200 electors in rhe Turua Town Board. Mr Anderson said it was the samewith the hospital board elections. A town beard could outvote a county council. Mr Price said that because this had been going on for years there was noreason why it should continue. Mr McCormick said that meant that the Turua Town district could elect a member in opposition to one from the Hauraki Plains County. The chairman said that was the law, and it could not be altered before the elections, and the existing conditions would apply. The manager said that the Board did not recognise the Turua Town Board, which was under the franchise of the Hauraki Plains County Council and nroted with that, county.