HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2898, 18 June 1925, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The Horowhemia Power Board met in Levin on Tuesday. The, chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) presided and Messrs D. AY. Matheson, AY. H. Gunning A. .J. Mackay, C. Kilsby, AAA Barber, and A. A. Barber were also present. Mr P. AAA Brown, Foxton, wrote enquiring when the Board was going to instal the electric light at Moutoa. as he and others would have to get new engines if the lighting was not going to he put in. The Engineer said he had looked over the details and the proposed installation! was quite a good one and should be put in as soon as possible. There were quite a number of probable consumers. Mr. Barber said the people in the locality thought they would not get the power for six months, but if they were given an assurance that they would get it within a reasonable time it would be alright. The application was referred to the Engineer and Air Barber, to make arrangements with (he applicants. The Foxton Borough Council wrote staling they had decided to take power from the Board at the Town Hall and asked that the work of installation he begun on Thursday next. — The engineer reported that this had been gone on with. The County Engineer wrote accepting thc> Board’s rate for supplying power for the County crushing plant. The rale is to apply to the 42 h.p. slip ring motor and a 25 h.p. slip ring motor. The high rale between 7.311 a.m. and 5 p.m. was 2d per unit for the first 22,000 units per quarter, thereafter I:;d per unit. The low rale between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.rn. was Ad per unit. The Under-Secretary for Public Works wrote stating that the Minister had agreed to the Board capitalising the second year’s inicrest and sinking fund on portion of the loan amounting to £40,000. The Minister, however, was not, generally satisfied of the real necessity for Power Boards who are merely reticulating to raise money more than one year in advance of the time that such money is to he expended on wages and material, and thereby become revenue earning, and that approval in similar circumstances in future cannot be given. The secretary said the request was at first refused, and in writing again he bad assured the Department that the Board did not desire to enpilnlisc £5 more Ilian was absolutely necessary in the interests id.' tlie districts. The Treasurer reported that from April 1 to June 13, a sum of £5837 in cash had been received by the Board, these being credited as follows: Loan fund, installations £2,490, service lines £230. Power fund, electricity £240(1, meter rents £Bl, motors ranges, etc. £590. This showed that: the money wo beginning to come in.

Mr Barber said the people generally were appreciating tlie eottvenittce of the light and power. The Secretary said Miss Thorpe, instructress in cooking under the Wellington Education Board, was verv anxious to have an electric range installed in the (Iraki School, where she gave instruction to probably 199 pupils from Mauakau to Paekakariki, The Board had already agreed to supply a range at half cost at tlie Levin School, but the Education Board had refused Ihe offer. There was now a. letter from the Education Board asking lor a quotation Cor the supply and installation of an electric range at Otaki school.

Mr. Monk said the range would serve the same purpose at Otaki as ,ii Levin and they should give the same concession that was offered at Levin. Mr Mntheson said it was a. good proposition so far as the Board was concerned. Mr Kilsby said a range in the school was a good advertising proposition where so many children were being taught. It was agreed to offer a range at ball: cost. Mr Brown suggested the advisability of arranging with the postmasters in the different centres to ility of arranging with the postmasters in ,the different centres to communicate with the Board’s inspectors in cases of a break-down wlicii the telephone office was closed. Inconvenience was caused in country districts through difficulty ni getting through to the Boards officers. After discussion it was decided to endeavour to arrange with some telephone subscriber in each outlying centre to be connected continuously, this being left to the Engineer to attend to.