ELECTRIC POWER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5482, 2 October 1929, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER.

THAMES VALLEY BOARD. MONTHLY MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board yesterday Mr F. M. Strange presided over the following : Messrs J. Allen, J. W. Anderson, C. A. Arthur, H. M. Corbett, F. E. Flatt, J. McCormick, J. Pohlen, J. Price, J. B. Thomas, H. E. Torr, N. G. McLeod (engineer), and R. Sptaguer(manager). Power for Dairy Companies. The district electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, Hamilton, asked what stage had been reached in the negotiations with the dairy companies with the object of \ taking them over as ordinary consumers from the Power Board, and not under a three-party agreement. The engineer explained that he had advised the district electrical engineer that the matter was being gone into, and he would be advised of results. He had also advised the dairy companies that the department was not struck with the three-party agreement, and favoured the board taking over if possible. A rate might be devised and the matter gone into with the dairy companies. Kerepeehi Sub-station. The district electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, Hamilton, wrote concerning the relief of the department’s operator at Kerepeehi for one day a week and 18 days’ annual leave. The board’s manager had stated at Wellington that it was inconvenient for the board to provide a hian for the 1,8 days’ relief, and the department hail agreed to send its own operator for the period. So far as the

writer could recollect, the payment for those 18 days was not discussed in Wellington, and he took it that pay-

ment would still be made by the board. Another matter discussed at Wellington, continued the letter, was the provision of the public telephone connection, and it was agreed that in those sub-stations where the board’s high tension phone had been installed by the board the department would pay the cost of installing the public phone but if the board wished the department to pay for the relief for the 18 days, then it was suggested that it would be reasonable for the board to provide the public telephone connection. The writer also requested information concerning the stage reached in regard to the contracts for Kerepeehi and Matuatei points of supply, for which draft agreements had been submitted. On the latter subject the chairman said that nothing definite had been done. The matter was really for the officer of the board. As far as the draft agreement was concerned, there Were certain clauses that required discussion. Mr Sprague said it was a question of over £2OO for providing relief, as against the cost of a phone. He had understood that the Public Works Department was to pay for both relief and telephone. Mr McLeod explained that at Wellington they had asked the department to supply the relief with one man to do it all.

Mr Price maintained that the question had been gone into by the department and the board agreed to give temporary relief. The manager pointed out that the department said it would pay one or the other. The telephone was the cheaper, as relief meant breaking into the board's time; the department should go round.

Mr - Anderson thought that the board? should accept the offer of the telephone. Paying for that would be cheaper for the board than providing a relief man.

It v/as decided to pay for the telephone/ On the subject of the draft agreement, - the chairman said there were several clauses to be gone into. After the engineer had read the clauses referred to it was decided to leave the matter to the finance committee. - Tokoroa Canvass. The: secretary of the Tokoroa Progress League referred to the board’s letter of May 9, in which it was stated that the board”s engineer had been instructed to canvass the district. It was three months since the letter had been received, and as far as the league knew the engineer had not put in an appearance to date. An early explanation was requested. It was decided to hold a meeting with the league and go into the subject. ■ ■ Waihi Street Lights. The town clerk of Waihi wrote stating that the Waihi Borough Council recently made an inspection of street lights 'at Waihi, when it decided to have the light on the transformer at the intersection of Seddon Street and Margaret Street moved on to a new pole on the edge of the pavement, and to have a new light erected on the bend in Seddon Street to the east of the Mangatoetoe stream near the Commercial Hotel’ The inspection was made in company with the board’s troubleman, who would be able to give the board full details of what was required. Early attention to the matter was requested.