THAMES VALLEY POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5360, 5 December 1928, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY POWER.

MEETING OF BOARD. ROUTINE BUSINESS. The Thames Valley Electric Power Board met at Te Aroha yesterday, Mr F. M. Strange presiding over. Messrs E(. E. Flatt, W. E. G, Willy, J- McCormick, J. Price, H. H. Bush, G. Howie, J. B. Thomas, H. M. Corbett, C- A - Arthur, J. Pchjen, J. B. Anderson, the manager (Mr R. Sprague), and the engineer (Mr N. G. McLeod). SUPPLY OF POWERThe district electrical engineer, Public Works Department, Hamilton, advised that owing to the fact that there was at present a shortage of both water, power and slack coal, and that consequently the department was unable to supply the board’s full requirements in addition to those of other consumers, the N.Z. Co-opera-tive Dairy Co. would have to reduce the amount qf power taken by Its factories to the minimum provided. >n the new draft agreement. That was that the company should reduce its maximum demand at each factory to an amount equal to, the capacity of the factory, and that factories should cut off the supply from 6 to 9 a.m. and frqtn 4 to 7 p.m. If the Dairy Company could supply the department with the amount of slack caM required to generate the pqwer for its factories the restrictions would not be necessary. POLE BURNED. The Paeroa distribution ensdneer, Mr R. E. Mitchell, reported) that on Sunday last some person set fire to a pole in the Waikino 11,000-volt line abqut a mile from Paeroa. On going out to investigate a number of people and several groups of youthq were onticed. These boys had been amusing themselves setting Are to stumps. Dr, Little attempted to extinguish the fire with his car fire extinguislher, but could not reach sufficiently high. The manager reported that the matter had been put in the hands of the police and a reward, for information had been advertised. THAMES PROPERTY. A Thames land agent advised his •inability to sell the board’s shops in Pcjllen Street, Thames. He expressed the view that the board had paid more than the value of the property. He valued the land at £l4 a foot, which would be £462, with buildings £5OO. Under the hammer it would -pot realise this, as the rates wene killing property sales, and' this was the case wherever rating was on the unimproved value. It was not a rate but robbery. The chairman: It wquld pay us to give the propert” away. The board has just had to pay £62 in rates. Mr. Thomas: We wil’ have to pay a premium tq r ’d of the shop. Mr Strange: Perhaps we can give it to the Thames Borough representative. Mr Bush : Oh, he does not want it. It was decided tq get rid of the perty. INTERRUPTIONS AT KEREPEEHI. Th® Public Works Department wrote in reply to the engineer’s letter suggesting that the operator at the department’s Kerepeehi substation should switch over immediately in tne case of an interruption and back again on normal running being restored, so as to reduce the interruptions to supply. It was pqinted out that this would increase the number of stoppages, although it wquld re-* duce their duration. The district electrical engineer was taking, the matter up with Waikino, but it was doubtful if much improvement could be effected owing to the difficulty 6$ synch ronising. NGAHINA WHARF DUMP. The Mayor of Paeroa, Mr W. Marshall, advised that the Paeroa Borough Council had approved the agreement matte for the use by the board of an, area at the Ngahina wharf for a pole dump. For. tfhe exclnsive right to dump poles qn the full width, of the reserve to a distance of 70ft from the down-stream boundary the annual charge would be £7 10s. LIVE WIRES. Mr iy. J. Rogers, the Turua troußlfe*man, reported that employees of the Hauraki Plains County Council had* removed the motor and s/hed frqmi Wharepoa without notifying him, and' had left live wires lying on the> ground to be a decided menace to people and cattle. The manager reported having, written to the coupc.il for an explanation. WIREMEN’S EXAMINATIONS. The Registrar, Electrical Wiremen’s Registration Board, forwarded a list of successful candidates at the recent examination. He commented* that the percentage of passes was lower thanformerly, particularly in the written section. In reply to Mr Flatt the chairman said that the low percentage was not due to inadequate training by the board’s staff. The board’s assistant engineers had arranged facilities fqt study, but the boys did not avail themselves of them. The manager said that the board’s smart boys had passed the examination some time ago, and those who sat recently were those who had previously failed cr declined to sit. They had an inducement to study, as they secured wiremen’s wages on passing, the examination. All those in the board’s employ who had availed themselves of the facilities provided for study had passed the examination easily. FINANCE. The finance committee recommended that accounts totalling £13,611 bepassed for payment; that the penalty of 10 per cent for non-payment of the 1 Te Aroha Borough’s account be reduced to 5 per. cent for last quarter’s account only ; that the manager receive an increase of £5O per annum, and the accountant and assistant engineer receive an increase of £25 per annum each ; that Mr McLeod’s cfcr be disposed of and a new car purchased ; and that no general meeting, be held ip January, but that the special finance committee be empowered to carry on. The report was adopted.