ELECTRIC POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4835, 27 May 1925, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER.

IHE THAMES VALLEY BOARD.

MEETING AT TE AROHA.

The regular meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board was held at Te Aroha yesterday the ; liairman (Mr F. H. Claxton) presiding over the following: Me.ssiy P. Grace, F. E. Flatt, W. E, G. Willy. G. Howie, J. Po’ilcn, J. McCormick, J. Price, J. W. Vidersor, J. B. Thomas, F. M. Strange, C. A. Arthu", N. G. McLeod (resident engineer), and R. Sprague (secretary-manager) ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN.

On the motion of Mr Willy, eecoiidcd by Mr Anderson, Mr F. H. Claxton w?s unanimously re-elected chairman 'or the ensuing year.

Mr Claxton thanked the members for the. honour accorded him, and said that he looked for the wholehearted i o-operation that he had received the past.

Mr F. M. Strange was re-elect:'’, deputy-chairman. The following were appointed to (.ho special finance committee: Messrs Fl«tt. Price, Thomas, Strange, and Arthur.

CONDOLENCES ACKNOWLEDGED.

Th° widow of the late Rt. Hon. NV. F. Massey telegraphed her acknowledgment o: condolences :rom th? hoard. The chairman said that he hai conveyed the sympathy of the boaid to M 1 s Massey, who had the condolence of the whole of New Zealand H< asked the board to stand for n few moments in silence as a mark of respect to the late Prime Minister WAIHI BOROUGH SUPPLY. The district electrical engineer. I’tiblic Works Department, Hamilton, advised that, it Was not considered necessary to impose the minimum charge of £lO a month in the case nf either of the twb tapping points. The chairman said that rhe effect cf the depai iment’s decision was tha the line would now become payable. ;.O far as the board was concerned. INFORMATION SOUGHT. Tb.e Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, wrote asking to be supplied with th” personnel of the board, ro"ctlicr with names of the constitu ent districts which they represented. The secretary was instructed to cupply the information. LOAN MONEY. Tne Australian Mutual Provident So- ictv advised that owing to its commtinvmts b -ng such as to engage all surplus money for a considerable wriod it was unable to consider the application for a loan of £50,000. Public Trustee. Wellington, v.rote advising that the loan of £50,000 had been granted at a rate of six per rent, int.-nest, pin's a sinking fund >f one per cent, for a tQl'm of twenty years. The chairman was congratulated on ’he favourable terms of the arrangemc it obtained by him when in Wellington recently. RESIGNATION. F V. C. Haynes, canvasser for trie non rd. asked thtTt his resignation be accepted as from June 12, as he was entering business on his own account. —Accepted.

B. D. Chapman, cashier, also tendereo his resignation, to lake effeo: as frciii June 12. —Accepted with regret. ?dr Strange said that Mr Chapman was eno of the oldest membebrs .t 'he staff, and had proved himself thoroughly capable, reliable , an.-, obliging. . 'Mr Flatt said that Mr Chapman had been five years with the board and h'i-1 done his work thoroughly and loyally. It was decided to record the boards appreciation of his services. F. J. H. Wilson resigned his position as assistant engineer ? i ordqr to take up an appointmen twith the Waitemata • Power Board. —Accepted wich regret. REMISSION OF RATE.

A Waikino resident wrote stating that he was too poor to have electric light installed at his cottage, his only means of livelihood being the old-age

pension. In reply to the chairman the sec re'ary said that the writer had been charged with the £1 minimum noncoirsumers’ rate.

Gn the motion of Mr Flatt, seconded by Mr Gr'ace, it was resolved to renit the rate.

HERRIES MEMORIAL.

The secretary of the Sir W’m. Her-:-ies Memorial Committee wrote stating that an order had been placed .tor a marble statue of the late oil Win. Hcrries. The istatue is tb be •Raced no a pedestal of Coromandel Gr-nitc, the height over all being 16ft, at a cost of £5OO. The board was asked to forward its promised donation as early as possible. The chairman said that the board had 'given no promise to contribute. Mr Anderson said he was opposed to ti e board giving anything. The memorial committee had set out have the memorial erected in Te i.roha, and yet the local borough council was only contributing £2.>, while the adjoining counties had been assessed at £lOO. It was resolved that a -eply sent stating that the board’s contribution was fully covered in ihe donations sent forward by the local bodies within its reticulation arefi. REDUCTION SOUGHT. The secretary of the Matamata Plunket Society wrote asking for a reluction in the minimum eTarge for one heating point, which point, the letter stated, was used for about one hour once a month. li. was stated that the society was umlei a misappreheraioji regarding ire board's requirements, and the manager was instructed to write and explain the position. SCHOOL STOVES. In reply to an inquiry by Mr J. B. Thomas as to whether the board intended supplying manual and technical schools with electrical cooking appliances as a means of advertising

electrical cooking methods, Mr Claxton said that the board was prepare ! 'o supply free power, and he favoured donating stoves. The girl of to-day was the housewife of to-morrow, and by • rpoviding her with the facilities and interesting her in cooking by elect; icity the results would be of mutual advantage, and he thought ►bo noard would receive favourable and far-reai hing results. Mr Pohler was in favour of install ’nr and loaning a stove to the Education Board. Mr Flatt moved that the board inetal 1 stove at a cost of £25 in all manual and technical schools within the beard’s reticulated area. Seconded and strongly supported by Mr J Price. . A membeFSnsked if Thames and Te Aerha would participate in this conecdsion, and Mr Arthur advocated that these towns should be included. The chairman stated that the, borough., of Thames and Te Aroha prodded the reticulation, but were under ’h? board’s jurisdiction and were liable to the general rate. There would therefore be no objection >o ►he Te Aroha and Thames boroughs being supplied with stoves. It was eventually decided to supply o!’. loan an lectric stove to ihe value of £25 to eacn technical school in the ■listr et provided the committees paid for the installation, and paid for the current direct to the board. ACCOUNTS. Accounts ..amounting to £5474 13s 4d on the loan fund and £32?8 Ss JU the power find were passed for payment. REMITS. The following remits, drawn up by -h< special finance committee for consideration at the Electric Power Pov.-ei Boards’ Conference at Wellington io July, were read and approved,; “That the Minister be requested .to make statutory provision empowering boards, at the expense of the owner, to cut down trees likely to preve davgerotis to its electrical works and the supply of current, and also to euc back overhanging branches. "That the minimum availability rate be 5s in lieu of 20s, and that the reduction be retrospective. “That a Bill should be passed authorising the setting up of a board to control the licensing of wiremen, and to standardise wiring regulations find electrical by-laws throughout the Dominion.. “That the Government provide an investing authority for. any special funds that mav be set aside by power boards from time ,to time.”