BAY POWER BOARD

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 189, 31 May 1939, Page 3

BAY POWER BOARD

ANNUAL MEETING Alii. BI'RRETT ELECTED ;J CHAIRMAN FINE GESTURE BY WHAKATANE AIEIMBER The annual .meeting of the Bay of Plenty 'Electric Power Board was lieicl in the board's meeting room at Opotiki yesterday.. Present: Messrs.' F. J. Burt (chairman), J. W. Sumner, J. A. Mitchell, D. W. Spence' (Whakatnne members), W. 1) Barrett, W. A. Gault, S'. Alaxwell (Opotiki members), Air. J. G. Lancaster (consulting, engineer), Air; J. D. Dicker (engineer-manager),-and All*. G. A. Hathaway (secretary). The minutes of the previous annual meeting were read and confirmed, i ' 'The chairman then, read his annual report, this being adopted on the motion of' Mr. Al itched. seconded by Air. Barrett. Various reports and statistics, were then presented by Mr. Dicker.—in reply to a question by a member, Air. Dicker said that the board still held the- New Zealand record for number of electric stoves installed on a percentage basis of domestic consumers.

Air. Sumner referred to the failure of power on, Friday night - last and asked why the Wliakatane stand-by supplyi system had not been brought into operation to supply Wliakatane. In reply Air. Dicker said the plant had nothing to do with the Bay Board; it was the affair of the Wliakatane Borough Council. He understood the plant was not ready to be used mid the demand in Wliakatane was now in excess of the full output, of the Wliakatane stand-by plant. Air. Dicker reported that the duplicate line had now been completed iroin Arapuni to r Edgecuiy.be,; apd only a Tittle required for the Ji»e :tcr bey put/ nt tu^. ; VTlie old, line j'roin 'Ngcngdtaha to yAfripuni was'- being overl) auled ait (present. The new ■line wouldj be' a far Abetter-,line 'with higher'-'standardsi' - Air. ‘Dicker aiso, '.menfiQnetL that : the / recent-; brenkyfn the old line occurred just on the lfdgccimibe side of the lino at the point where the .new line was in use. .

On the motion of Mr. Gault, seconded by Air. Sumner, the engineer's reports were adopted. Both members referred to the value and comprehensive nature- of the reports. The consulting engineers’ report, presented by Air. Lancaster, was approved!, on the motion of Air. Alaxwell. Honorarium. —'The chairman’s honorarium was lixed the same as last year —£7s. Election of Cliairmani. The chair was vacated by Mr. Burt, and the secretary called lor nominations. Air. Spence proposed Air. Burt be re-elected, this being seconded by Air. Alitchell. Air. Sumner said that lie had had in mind for some, time that the position ol chairman should he held' alternated by members in tlie two. districts. His idea was to retain the friendly spun, that had existed between the members of the two districts. Alcwt of the business was done in Opotiki which was the headquarters of the board. His suggestion would preserve the good feeling that had existed up to the present time. Air. Gault supported Air. Sumner’s suggestion, stating that the gesture was a. gepd one. He (the speaker) had nothing against Air. Burt, who was a good mail. "He thought it would be better to have a local chairman. He thought the idea ol" an alternate chairman a good one. Air. Gault then proposed that Air. Burrett be chairman. Air. Sumner seconded tin’ amendment. Air. .Burt said he would bo willing to withdraw. Air. Spence said that All. Sumner’s sentiments were no doubt very-good, but no hard and fast rules could be laid down in connection with the election of the chairman. 'lhe amendment was put and carried. In returning thanks for his election to the position of chairman, Air. Burrett. said he would have' been quite content to go on under Air. Burt. Air. Burt congratulated Air. Burrett on his election. Air. Sumner said be only did what lie thought would} be in tlie best interests of the board.. - He wanted the friendly feelings always to exist. On the motion of Air. Gault, Messrs. Vickerman and Lancaster were re-ap-pointed as consulting engineers to

the Mr. Sumner, yHipsecoiid'ecL the in oil oil*' refer red' t<r* tlie value of. the services rendered by Mr. Lancaster to the _ hoard. He said the firm value to the board .was far greater than the remuneration paid for their service siIn thanking members for his firm’s reappointment, Mr. Lancaster referred to the good progress of the board. Relations .with the. board had always been good. Ho recalled that when the board was formed the Government had asked for a; minimum guarantee of £SOOO for power supplied.' Right from the start the guarantee had been exceeded ail'd the demand for power had grown , until it now approached the .sum of £15,000 for power purchased. Estimates Presented. Mr. Dicker presented the estimates for the year 1900-10 and a lively discussion followed. The report suggested a reduction of Ri. per unit for ranges. Mr. Maxwell strongly objected! to this item and considered the reduction, if any, should come off the milking load. He. contended that the milking load in the beard's area was definitely high. Mr. Dicker pointed out that the milking-shed revenue •is decreasing, owing to tlici improvements made in shed equipment. The‘suggested reduction was on tho backbone of the system... The proposed reduction would tend toi increase business and result in the installation of‘more ranges. • • Mr. Maxwell referred to tho free servicing of ranges. He considered

the board should! reduce the minimum oil epuntry consumers from 10s to 5s per month. He moved that the minimum in the county be reduced to 5s —the same figure as. in the borough. Mr. 'Gault pointed out that one thing in support of Mr. Dicker’s suggestion was that a hig'proportion of country consumers ..were, range users. Mr. Mitchell m.ov'od that the 'engineer’s. estimates be adopted.,Seconded by Mr. Burt. Mr. Sumner moved as an■ amendment that the estimates be. adopted with the exception of the' recommendation dealing with tlie Charge for range current and that Mr. ' Dicker suhifiit figures in connection with this item' and alsp the suggested alteration in minimum charges j these iig'nres to show how the revenue, would be affected by the. alterations. The amendment was seconded by Mr. Maxwell.

Mr; Spence spoke in support of the motion and pointed out that, the domestic load whs important.* In referring to milking plants, lie said that many new systems only required approximately half the old! lead.

M!r. Maxwell informed members that he was not obstructing but he- was out for equal rights for all. He had fought for some relief to the farmers fpr years and he did not want to wait another year.

Mr. Lancaster explained the' reasons why there had, .been a. differentiation in the ininimunis in the first instance.- The- cost of supplying people in the country was much higher, than the town. TVint was an indisputable fact. They did-not-want-to use com-

pulsion in getting country people tc rise more current but the difference in in ininnuns was an- inducement to country consumers to- put in more appliances soi that there; would be no loss •in giving the country supply. The board had built up- its undertaking ..on sound lines. Air. Maxwell pointed out that there was extra expense in the borough in making: three meter readings per quarter against .only one in. the corlitry. Thei country people also consumed a -lot more current than other suppliers with, the exception of t-he. hotels.

The .amendment was carried. The motion was then put and carried with, out dissent. Air. Sumner moved that the monthly meetings of the board be held on the secondl Tuesday in each month., with the exception of January. Tlie usual monthly meeting of the board will be lipid on June 13’.

CONSULTING ENG INFERS’ ; REPORT Air. J. G. Lancaster, on behalf of Messrs. Viekonmm and Lancaster, the hoard’s consulting engineers, presented the following deport for the year:—• 1. Agreements between the Public Works'Department and Hoard, and 'the Ji.bard and Whakatane Borough Council.—Tlie first of these two agreements was necessarily held up by the Department* until the Board's agreement 1 with the. Whakatane Bdrougi. Council was completed. . 'jjhe power supply results to date indicate that, whilst assuring ample supply tof the Borough, the new arrangement is quite satisfactory to the Board. 2. Main Sub-stati.on Switchgear.— During the year the Department submitted a proposal to the various power boards that- their switchgear in the department’s substations should be 1 handed over to the Department, which wmild.jhccqmp hiaiutpivauceidi(l_reno\yals._as tiecessi- • ;tate.d by capacity; n'nc.; other alterations to t.lip Govern inent’s. electric-shpply system.' wy • : vk' ;'i by ‘■''J’lii.s r' hhd/li’f ! : the Tqard:’^'case", ‘Will -| rosu!t‘ ,, in: some slight immediate sav- j nigs and greater savings in the in- I tme.

3. Technical -Matters. Technical matters involving continuity of supply in the Board’s area have been discussed by us with tlie Department, and rulings have been quickly obtained on administrative questions which arise from time to time. 4. Supply to Whakatane Heads and Adjacent Area.—This matter has involved lengthly discussion and correspondence with the Department, irom whom a statement has now been obtained setting out fully the position in respect of the proposals toi supply a portion of the Board’s area, te reach which it»— 'trtlN he necessary to const) uct a. line through a small portion of Whakatane Borough. o. Duplicate Bine and Boosting Transformers.—We are pleased to lie in a position at last) to advise that we understand that the Department's new transmission line fr.om Arapuni to Jirdgecumbe will be in operation within a. few. weeks. In addition, boosting transformers are being erected in each of the Board’s substations. The new line, besides providing a standby to the old line, will, in con junction with the boosting transformers, assist your engineer-manager to maintain a much improved voltage throughout the hoard’s area.