ELECTRIC POWER BOARD MEETS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2623, 23 August 1923, Page 2

ELECTRIC POWER BOARD MEETS.

The- monthly meeting of the Ilorowhernia Electric Rower Board was held at Levin on Tuesday. Mr D. AY. Mathesnn, in the absence of Mr G. A. Monk, who was absent through in linen/,n, occupied the chair. There were also present : Messrs Ross, Seifert, Brown, Gunning, Kilshy and Barber. ENGTNEEE’S REPOET. Plans for tlie Shannon sub-sta-tion are now under way, and a dwelling for a lineman near this building will have to he considered shortly. Tenders are now being invited for main sub-station equipments, closing on the 3rd of October. Referring to Contract No. 10 for static transformers, tenders are now to hand, and I would recommend that these he dealt with at an early date.

During the month two shipments of poles arrived totalling 1207. The quality is being fully maintained, and only three poles were condemned. Cross-arm timber is now being forwarded in quantities which more than meets our present consumption. Pole Carling: 'The lorry has been partly engaged in distributing material during the month, lieneq pole carting has boon delayed a little. Taking a period of four weeks, 515 poles were carted out, making n total to date of 1520. Carting is now proceeding from the Shannon dump in order to complete the Foxf on-Shnnnon line.

Line Erection: Shortly after last meeting n commencement was made on the Shannon-Levin line, the first week being absorbed chiefly in organising and (raining 1 lie men in the work. The gang started at Woraroa, and have now reached a point five miles distant on the main road to Shannon.

General: Quantifies of stores have conic forward, and are now either in use or in stock. The depot workshop is meeting all requirements in making cross-arms and ironwork. I have received advice that the line foreman, Mr Walker, and the Installation Inspector, Mr -T;u*k, will f'cmvniciire duty here on the Ist of September. In answer to Mr A. Ross, the Engineer said that the total number of poles required for reticulation purposes in the district was 7,000, which was about 2,000 more than landed at present. Of this number over 1,500 had been laid out. The poles for use in town lighting would he picked straight poles. These would not he sapped, hut would he as sightly as possible with all lauds, etc., dressed off. In answer to Mr Seifert, the Engineer said that the erection gang of seven men at present working were putting up about half a mile of poles per day. This was at the rate of a pole to every three to four chains. Within file boundaries of boroughs poles had to he placed every 2A chains, hut in the country they could he spread mil to four chains.

Mr Brown asked what was bein;. done about acquiring land for substations at Eoxton and Otaki.

The Engineer explained that at both of these places an outside station would be sufficient, and that these could be erected, with the permission of the local bodies, at-the dead-end of a road. The station at Shannon was different, as this was the place where the power was taken over from the Government. The Government would bring the power to Shannon, and the Board would take over from there and run one line to Foxtail and another to Levin. The Shannon station would ( i>st about £BOO, and would need to be erected as soon as possible. It would also fie necessary to consider the matter of (he provision of a Inaise for the caretaker of this sub-station, It would be worth the Board’s while to consider whether it would not be well to build in cases where permanent employees were necessary.

The chairman moved that the matter of a house for the* Shannon caretaker be submitted to a committee consisting of the northern members of the Board and the Engineer. This was seconded by Mr Gunning and carried.

Mr A. Iloss said lie was against building houses where it was not absolutely necessary. The Shannon ease was a special one where it was essential that a man should live within a short distance of the station. In other places where it was not so, he considered that the Board should not go in for more expenditure than could be helped at the present stage. Accounts amounting to £4,850 39s 7d, including railway freight on poles £473 6s sd, imprest accounts, wages, freight, etc., £529 7s lid, poles £1,139 16s 2d, and insulators £1,400, were passed.