POWER BOARD’S SOCIAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4822, 15 April 1925, Page 3

POWER BOARD’S SOCIAL.

ENGINEERS HONOURED. COMPLETION OF MAIN SCHEME. A large gathering of representatives form all over the South Auckland province assembled at an informal social held in the Masonic Hall, Te Aroba, on Tuesday evening of last week at the invitation of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board to mark the completion of the Board's main scheme of reticulation. Among those present were Messrs H. Poland, M.P., Ohinemuri ;'T. W. Rhodes, M.P., Thames ; C. E. McMillan, M.P., Tauranea; J. McLennen, district engineer, Public Works Department; T. Hinton, hcairman of Central Power Board, Hamilton; M. Wells, chairman Cambridge Power Board; J. C. Miller, chairman, and E. Walton, clerk, Hauraki Plains County Council ; F. W. Walters, chairman, and W. J. Ray, clerk, Piako County Council, as well as members of the Paeroa, Te Aroint. Thames, and Morrinsyille borough council. Mr F. H. Claxton, chairman of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, presided.

A lengthy toast-list, interspersed witii musical and vocal items, was honouured.

In proposing the health of the guests of the evening, Messrs Gauvain and McLeod, who have finished their term as a firm of engineers to the board, the chairman said that that evening marked the second important step in the life of the Thames VaFcy Electric Power Board. In March, 1921, a switching-on ceremony war performed at Paeroa, which was the first town in New Zealand .to be lighted electrically under the operation of the Electric Power Boards Act. That night they had met -o mark the completion of the Board's main scheme of reticulation. The function also marked the termination of the most important contract his board had made, or was likely io make, in ife history, namely, the engagement of the engineers who had planned and carried to a successful issue the Board’s main scheme of reticulation. Going back to some five years ago, tvhen the newly appointed board had met, full of enthusiasm but with very little knowledge of the task before it. or of the numerous difficulties it had to face. The selection at the time of capable and efficient advisers, he was sure, was the most important step in the Board’s history, and calculated to materially affect its operations to .the end of time. The Board then, in its good judgment, decided to entrust its designing and ebnstructoinal work to Messrs Gauvain and McLeod, and from that day to the present those gentlemen had retained the complete confidence and respect of every member of the board. There were some 1 lines entitled “Do it now,” and a few of them read: “If he earns your praise, bestow it; if you like him let him know it, let the words of true encouragement be said. Do not wait till life is over and h e is underneath the clover, for he cannot read his tombstone when he’s dead.” The Board was satisfied with the work of Messrs Gauvain and McLeod, and on the completion of the main scheme tendered them its wholehearted appreciation of five years of sound advice and capable supervision of its work. ■

The chairman said lie was pleased to state that the Board had. secured the services of Mr McLeod as chief engineer, while MrG.auvain had been returned as consulting engineer. The ordinary layman had very little opportunity to judge the mass of detail that needed supervision or the am.-unt of work in plans and drawings which was not apparent in the completed work. The scheme with its , contingencies and developments had needed the constant supervision and alert attention of both partners, and the mcarsure' of success alre.ady attained by the Board was very largely due to their efforts. Early in the Board's history the Public Works Department invited a conference of electrical engineers, the Public. Works Department,, and the Post and Telegraph Department, and it was mainly thiough the representation made by Mr McLeod at that conference that special earthing devises were hot made necessary,-and that the regulations in regard to different voltage being carried on one pole line were altered. That meant a saving to the Thames Valley Board of approximately £23,000, and a similar comparative saving to every board in New Zealand. The scheme so far had been carried out for approximately £43,000 under the estimate for lines and transformers. That amount did not include the £23,000 previously mentioned. A considerable proportion of that saving was attributable to the keen buying of the Boards’ managei, Mr R. Sprague, and the balance to the engineers’ efforts in conjunction with an efficient and loyal staff. In replying to the toast Mr W. P. Gauvain, who was received with prolonged anplause, said that it was ju=t over five years since the Thames Valley Board had commenced its operas tions in thb district. It had met with many difficulties and obstacles, and ve!-v often the fight had been uphill, ami liad it not been for the help of the board members the work would not have been brought to such a successful conclusion. The local knowledge of the members had been invalualbe to the enigneers in laying out schemes in the various parts of the area. Mr Gauvain paid a tribute to Mr Sbrague and his staff, and said that the Board was singularly fortunate in having two men of the calibre and acumen of Messrs Claxton and Strange. Referring to Mr Strange, the speaker stated that as the Board s first chairman Mr Strange had done an enormous amount of spade work, and his name would go down for generations in the annals of Power Board history. Mr Claxton, during his term as chairman, had proved himself a man of exceptional ability and foiesight, and the ridepayers might well congratulate themselves on having such a capable person to handle their affairs. Mr Claxton might possibly have an equal as a chairman, but tis

(the speaker) felt confident that he would never find a superior, (Applause.) Mr Gauvain said that he wished to express his appreciation of the services rendered by the engineering staff, namely, Messrs Fielder, Wilson, and McDonald, the last-named being personally responsible for, the preparation of 598 sets of plans before the reticulation of the area had been completed. Special thanks were due to the Minister for Public Works and the membens of his department, particularly to Mr J- McLennan, district electrical engineer at Hamilton. The department and its officers had been of the greatest help to power boards, and advice had at all times been readily forthcoming.

Speaking of the progress made by' the Board to date, Mr Gauvain said that the connected load amounted to 13 560 horse-power, which was a very fair indication of the p/ogres.' made. Continuing, he said that 1203 miles of circuit lines had bean constructed and put into operation. That mileage comprised 329 miles of *1,660 volts v 13S miles of 3300 volts, 227 miles of service lines. 397 miles of low tension lines, and 112 miles of high tension lines. There were also 26 high tension telephone's in use.

In severing his active connection with the Board Mr Gauvain said that he was disassociating himself with some loyal friends, and he concluded by . wishing the chairman, members, Mr Sprague and his staff, as well as his late partner, Mr McLeod, good health, good luck, and best wishes for continued success and prosperity.

In support of the remarks made by Mr Gauvain Mr N. G. McLeod, who also received a hearty ovation, said that he wished to express his keen application of the reasonable attitude which had always been shown by the ratepayers in the Board’s area. In his opinion the district was to be congratulated on the representatives it had elected to the board, t•on tiie sound principles and business ability of the members the successful working of the reticulated areas laregly depended. Mr McLeod concluded by paying special tribute to the work of the troublemeh and outside staff generally, whom he stated had served the board and the consumers with efficiency and credit. Among other toasts honoured were . “The Parliament of New Zealand,” “Public Works Department,” “Local Bodies,” “Power Boards of New Zealand,” “The Chairman,” and “The Pres?s.”

In. responding to the toast of hTe Power Boards of New. Zeala id” Mr Arthur said that there was little doubt that the Thames, Vallsv Board had the full confidence of the ratepayers. This was borne out by the fact taht in 1920 the ratepayers had sanctioned a loan of £200,000 ; in 1921, £350,000'; and in 1924 a further loan of £150,000, in all. a total of £700,000. That sum bad actually been .-ate<d, but only about £574,434 had been spent. The test of the {stability and need of the power board had teen widened and assured by the way tlm money was subscribed. Reference was made to the non-consumers’ rate, and the ■speaker said that liis boaid ,v< ukl t'b-i contented iint'l the minimum was reduced from £1 to 5s a cection H.- c laimed that l.e success of his board was in a large measure due to Mr F. M. Strange, the first chairman, who had blazed the trail, and in whose footsteps Mr Claxton had so ably followed. Those men had been tiie main guides of the bbard throughout its existence, and they had proved themselves men of integrity, honesty of purpose, and clear vision. Quoting figures showing the growth of the Board, Mr Arthur said that In 1922 the sales of electricity amounted to £6260 ; in 1923, £22,701 ; in 1924, £42,391 ; and for the enwuing year the sales were estimated to exceed £60,000. In 1922 the trading department had a turnover of £20,640 ; in 1923, £36,800 , in 1924, £38,282 ; and during 1925 >t was expected that £-40,000 would be reached. For the quarter ended March 31 the board had paid £21,000 to the Public Works Department for .electricity in bulk, and the speaker considered that the matter of receiving cheaper rates from the department for nower in bulk should be gone into, into.