COMING OF ELECTRIC POWER

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2657, 10 November 1923, Page 3

COMING OF ELECTRIC POWER

CANVASS OP FOXTON CON- .. - r .StXMERS COMMENCED. . MR JACK EXPLAINS THE GROUP. SYSTEM. Mr W. R.. Jack, group supervisor and' installation * inspector of the Horowhenua' Electric Power Board, has arrived in Foxton to undertake a canvass of the householders and business people in connection with the linking vip of their premises with electricity. Mr Jack, in conversation with our representative, said that he had just completed the Shannon borough, and signed up 90 per cent, of the‘ residences and shops in the borough. He has made a start on the Shannon-Moutoa Road, from the bridge to Poxton, and practically all the farmers are linking up, both for lighting and motors and hot water services for the cow sheds. All the main line poles have been erected between Shannon and Poxton except for a short distance through swampy ground which should be completed next week. Mr Jack’s object in keeping ahead of the linesmen is to obviate extra expense in making subsequent connections. That is to say that the signed-up parties will have their connections made simultaneously with the pole wiring as delay means extra expense. Mr Jack explained the group system. He said that he proposed to make two groups of Poxton. The advantage of the grouping system is that public tenders will be called for the whole work in the group, as against individual work which would become very much more costly to the consumer. The work would be supervised and passed by the Board’s experts. Mr Jack pointed out that the consumer could of course, make his own arrangements for installation. It was optional whether consumers came into the group " system or not, but there was no doubt about the saving effected if carried out under the group system. Mr Jack says he will be pleased to give the fullest information to those who require financial assistance under the Board’s scheme. Referring to the cost per point, for lighting, Mr Jack said that it would not exceed 35/b’ut more probably less. Mr Jack said that as the Board carried the service line 60ft. inside the consumer’s boundary, very few, if any, of the local residences would incur any expense in this connection. He hopes to complete Poxton within the next fortnight, and as Levin, Otaki and other places south of Poxton have to be grouped, it is to the advantage of the consumer to be

signed up, immediately, in or--rier to get the juice when it is avail able. As each group is completed, tenders are called for the work. In response to a question as to what effect electricity would have on the gas supply, Mr Jack said that in other towns where electricity had come into competition with gas, strange to say, the gas consumption had increased after the first twelve months. “In any case,” he added, “there is ample room for both, and a way could be found by the municipality to meet the altered conditions.”