ELECTRIC POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5385, 8 February 1929, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER.

THAMES VALLEY BOARD. monthly meeting. The Thames Vajley Power Board held its monthly meeting at Te Aroha on Tuesday, those present bejng Messrs. F. M. Strange- (chairman), H. M. Corbett, F. E. Flatt, W. E. Willy, G. Howie, J. Pohlem J. McCormick, T. Price, J. W. Anderson, J. B. Thomas,. C. A- Arthur, N. G. McLeod (engineer), and R. Sprague (manager). BENZINE TANKS. A letter from the; Public WOTks Department intimated that they had no objection to benzine tanks being located two feet below the surface of the ground. <Mr Flatt, asked if. the engineer had a' voice as to where benzine tanks were to be installed, and Mr McLeod answered in the affirmative. LOSS OF METERS. A communication from tue Public Works Department relating to the bojard’s claim for loss of their meters at thq 'Horahora tire elucidate the reply that the Public. Works Department could not accept liability for destruction. The meters had been installed by the the departure,nt, as was the custom, having granted housing room. This should not be construe)! as rendering the department, liable for their loss. The department suggested that no doubt the board could have c.ovqred the meters by insurance. In the discussion that followed it was state;! that although the board installed the meters the Public Works Department used them just as mu:h, in fact, when- proved to them in actual use that the board’s meters were superior, thev discarded theirs. Legally the board had no* claim, but morally it had. , It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the engineer. INTERRUPTION IxN JANUARY. The interruption of, current on Sunday, January 20, through, the absence of the) Government linesman from hut 8, near Waih'ou, was thoroughly gone into as a result of correspondence with the Public Works Department. The department stated that their man at. hut 8 had been hurriedly called away c-n account of sickness in his family. It was not until some time after he had left his post that hej informed Horahora, making it too; late for the department to replace him. They thereupon gpt into touch with the power bqard at- Te Aroha to send their man. This representative took too long to get there in- the morning, and refused alti> gather to go there in t'hej afternoonit was estimated that it took on,ly 35 minutes to get from Te Areha to the

hut. It was part of the Government operator’s duty at Waihqu to kno,w ( wheai the hut linesman was away and ’ to be ready to attend to the duty of this man if necessary. The present arrangement regarding attendance at the hut would he, continued, and in general, when the linesman was away the linesman ’in the half-way house would be sent to take his place. A icjtter from the Public Works Department tc ; the Morrinsville Dairy Co. put a- different complexion 9 n the affair from the department’s side; The department proffered excuses, and, incidentally, extended jthe time nec.essary to get from Te Aroha to Waihou to 45 minutes. As a matter of fact, thej board computed the time taken to be 55 minutes from Te Aroha to, the hut. Mr Sprague said the whole matter resolved into the fact that the; operator at hut 8 was away through sickness in his family, and thq one at Waihou was having a'day off. It was the board’s practice, if the Te Aroha troubleman was away, to arrange fc ; r another to take his place. The reason the board’s map delayed going, to the assistance of the department was because milking was on when the interruption occurred, and they considejred it much more expedient to switch in their own power from Matamata to ’aid the farmers. This was . do,ne, and an hour and a-half was saved. '

Mr McLepd’s opinion was that unless an attendant at the hut was always available a duplicate system at a cost of about £3500 was necessary. It wouid be cheaper in the long run to duplicate thq line than to maintain a man at hut 8. On the suggestion to push the matter further alqng these lines Mr bett intervened to ask how much controversy it would entail. The Chairman: We must not baulk at the thought of that. Mr Price did not deem it wise to interfere with the Public Works Department’s administration, a remark with which the rest of the members agreed. It was decided, bn the motion of tiro chairman, to inform the department that in the opinion of. thq board it was desirable that there should be a double line of supply to WaJhou, and it was further decided to inform the department that the; board! was justified in. not going to hut 8 on the date the supply was cut off, inasmuch as it reduced the; inconvenience to farmers. SHORTENING OF LOANS TERM. T.he Loans Board's proposal to shorten the 3&% year term to 20 met with strong oppwition. Mr Flatt pointed out' that it would practically relegate them to the position of a third-class road. , It was decided that a maximum of 20 years was altogether unreasonable. MINING CO.’S REQUEST. Through the fact of their wbrk being held back by power interruptions, the Qhineniuri Gelid) and Silver‘Mines wrote stating that they had tc ; instal their own watep- plant at heavy cost, and asked for a reduction of their account in consequence. The company was unaware of. the bqard s legal right, but it should not be used arbitrarily. The engineer announced that the matter had been settled), and that “all was in order.”