PUBLIC MEETING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2635, 20 September 1923, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

INTERESTING ADDRESS BY MEMBERS OF POWER BOARD. There was a large and representative gathering in the Masonic Hall on Tuesday evening last at the public meeting convened by the Foxton Chamber of Commerce to hear addresses by the Chairman, Engineer and local member of the Horowhenun Power Board in connection with the supply and use- of electricitv throng-hnnt the district Air Horn blow (president of the Chamber of Comaieiv t t ••esided and in introducing the : oiker paid u tribute io the enterp • a •! good work already aceompl . e-1 t v the Tlorowbenna Power HoaH. He made -pe.ial reference t,> the enierprise of the Board chairman and to the high qualifications of the engineer (Air Overton) and clerk (Air fioldsmilh). Mr Afonk, who was received with :i hearty round of applause, thanked the Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity of outlining the Board’s policy and getting info personal touch with the ratepayers who were directly concerned. He dealt with the legislative enactments and referred to the operations of the Waipori, Horn horn and Lake Coleridge schemes. He stressed the point that the success of these schemes was due to cutting down the cost to th(> consumer to the lowest possible rale. He dealt with the formation of the Power Board districts, dealing particularly with the formation of the TTorowhenna Board. The result of the canvass of the ratepayers in the district greatly exceeded the 25 per cent, necessary for the Beard’s const it ul ion. He paid a high compliment to (lie splendid work done during the initial stages by their present clerk (Air Goldsmith). The appointment of an engineer received very careful consideration and in Afr Overton, tinBoard had secured the services of one of the best electrical engineers in the Dominion. Referring to the loan proposals, a loan proposal of £2(50.00 0, lie said, had been carried by 075 to 25. The Ilorowhenua Board was the first power boar 1 to raise a post war loan nr 5.1 per cent, and without the payment of procuration fee. £BO,OOO has already been arranged to be uplifted in monthly instalments as required. The interest and sinking fund on the loan represented a, rale of 1-1-Id in the .£, if called up. Dealing with the commitments, the speaker then outlined them to dat \ lie referred to the purchase and inspection on the spot of the ironbark poles. He pointed out that the Government’s delay in turning <m the juice bad postponed much of the work, thereby saving unnecessary immediate expenditure on the part of the Board. He stated that the whole of the pole erection throughout the district would he completed by December of this year. It was desirable that consumers should lose no time in arranging to make connections in order to avail themselves of the current, when turned on in July of next year. He referred to the work of reticulation which was progressing rapidly throughout the whole district. There was no question of coming into active competition with gas as the latter could be used in combination with electricity. He also dealt fully with the matters of administration in connection with the Board’s policy. Mr Alex Ross was the next speaker and his address is published elsewhere in this issue. Mr Overton (engineer) said the

essential factors contributiig to a wider use of electricity are: —(1) Diminished cost of appliances; (2) reliability and (3) low cost of energy required to work them. He on timed at length the Board’s policy in respect to the purchase and supplying of electrical appliances and to the provision made to assist consumers financially in obtaining same. He referred to the Mangahao scheme as being a first-class job and said that it was the Board’s" duty now to see that its part was earned out in a like manner in every detail. It had to supply electricity as cheap as any other power or lighting and lo do this il is compelled to divert in as many directions as possible the uses of electricity over as many hours of l lie day as possible. Dealing until (lie daily uses of electricity, he said the electric light is the ideal illuminant and could be reflected wherever wanted. It does not consume oxygen or give off poisonous gases. Expert colour matchers use it in lieu of natural daylight. It was less costly to use electricity than oil, gas or kerosene. It was not the price per cubic foot or per pint that one has to consider in comparison with electricity, but it is the cost of redecorating rooms sullied by the dirt and products of combustion and damage done to household furnishings, etc. \ There was a great contrast between electricity and other illuininnnts in the home, lie referred in detail to such uses as the electric fan, pumping water, in the dairying industry, domestic washing machines, heating, spring cleaning apparatus, cookery, massaging, and numerous other little home comforts. The cost of electricity to the consumer in the Ilorowhenua district is based on a carefully revised tariff and at an extremely low rate for each type of service. It would therefore handsomely pay each householder in the district to employ electrical appliances for every purpose for which they are available, thus ensuring that these rates will lie maintained and the scheme made self-support-ing. Tn reply to questions, Mr Overton said the cost of lighting a fourroomed cottage would he about £3 per annum. Several other questions of minor importance were also answered. At the conclusion hearty votes of thanks were accorded the speakers and the general opinion was ex-pressed-that Foxton would not be behind any town or centre within the district in availing itself of the advantages of electrical power both from an industrial and domestic point of view. The usual vote of thanks to the chair concluded a most interesting and Instructive meeting.