ELECTRIC POWER TO FLAXMILLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4507, 20 September 1930, Page 3

ELECTRIC POWER TO FLAXMILLS.

RiEDdGTHON CHANGES

DISCUSSED

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Hoi'owhemta Electric Power Board, the Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department wrote stating that Mr. B. B. Woods had written to the Hon. Minister with reference to the reopening of the flaxmills at an early date, pointing out that the clause in the Board agreement is to the effect, that quarterly periods shall commence on Ist January, April, July and October respectively. The olausie reads: “A minimum quarterly unit consumption of 00 per cent, of the maximum demand in K.V.A. at the Above rates will he changed. The maximum demand indicator shall he read and reset quarterly for the purpose of adjusting' the minimum guarantee, such indicator to he of thermal type and the pressure shall he taken at- 400 volts. Quarterly periods shall commence, on the Ist January, April, July and October. The writer stated Hint the llaxmill owners did not feel disposed to pay for the next three weeks’ supply at the quarterly rate.

The secretary (Mr. Ramsay) said that lie bad replied pointing out that “a similar position had arisen before and the difficulty was got over by the Department agreeing to. two peaks in the quarter, one peak embracing the period from the beginning of the quarter to the date oil which the mills commenced and the other for the remaining portion of the quarter. If the Department would again consent to this arrangement there need be no difficulty about the mills starting worlki at any time, nor would the Board require to enforce the clause in the contract dealing with a minimum guarantee of til) per cent, of the demand. Certainly this Board could not consent to the mills working during the day for the balance of the present month, without being safeguarded against the very serious loss which the Board would sustain if a heavy increased demand was placed on its system during the last few weeks of the quarter and the Department charged the Board as for the full quarter. The only other alternative would lie for the mills to work at night until the end of this month. The Board is anxiops tlm'l the mills should re-open at the earliest, possible date, in order*to assist in relieving unemployment in the district and it is felt that, if the mills can start right away, the Department should meet the Board as suggested above.” The chairman said the point they had to consider was the confirmation of the secretary’s letter to the Department. iMr. Seif or said he thought the secretary liad set out the position verv clearly. The Board could not pav £2 per K.V.A. for the quarter and collect only 15/- from the flaxmills. When the mills worked at night they did not interfere with the peak loads during the i lay. The secretary’s action was confirmed.