HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

Otaki Mail, 25 August 1922, Page 4

HOROWHENUA ELECTRIC POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Uorowh&nua Electric Power Board met in Levin on Tuesday. Air Monk presided, and there were also ' present Me.-3.5i.-. Mattie&uii Guiniing (Shannon), Alaekuy (Para- i •parauniii), Iviisby .utaki;. barber] ;Manawatu), YUiibley ,~.\ion , Brown j i (Wuikuuae;, and A. aeuert. LOsT ur l'otvtii. tilt Uatruruiju I'ower Hoard wrote' I asking ii Uie Uourd would join m u I uepuiutiun Lo lliu Minister 10 enuea- | vour 10 yet some actuate stuienieni ii'uin tnu Minister 111 regard lo ihe J cost oi Uie pow er from Maiiguliao. ) J lie ISuard had receheu me DcpaitI mental acneduie, ami liiere was uisu I a pnulic sluieiuehi made J-v Uie aiin i tlie interest oi the l'eople's ana CosI .Ur uvertun sum ine aclieuuie liie.) . [hud receded itum uie Government I I was exactly the tame as Ui use in the ; \\aikaiy, There was no mention m ' ! H ui u sngcai rate over a cerium i I auiQtmt oi power, such us inu miu.o- . j !-r li.au B.tuicu would, oy allowed, j j Tlie uteirnuui da d he thought syme j ell on should be iuade tu lyrnj u j i League ol LSoatds. It would he arnc ' | to hung mure |>ces>»ure lo hear than j spasmodic uifuris by sections oi ihe I I'U>>li;i|JTV i.)l-' DELAY, i; was suggested liiat the Almistej j hiighi not he able lu make a deliniti j ! statement as lo cost owing to ihe' , worKa taking longer or costing more > ijiuii u a a e.\meeluu. > liie cliairmai) .-aid he ieii liiat they j must gel on with their reticulation ami laiie a certain amounl ol risk as : io uheiliei ii;,' i'ublie Works Uepari j mem \\ a.- ready. .'.ii .UaUiesoii said Uie Hoard.- were ! ht'ing absolutely forced hy the Mints :ii !,, In- ready in time, and llicy were lelying oil Uie Minister's promise tliai ihe iiuwer would lie available! The chairman thought Uiere w as an 'element ~; risk, i'iiere might he cir-! cimistunces ovei wliicli tlie Depart- , mem mighi consider it had no conned. Mr Mathesuii said Ihe Hoard was doing ii.- part, and it a responsible Min-i-ier tuuK tin; very detiuite -land thai ; the Minister lor Public Works did , ilial the power would he available at I ihe end ol UttJ, he could not expeel the Hoards to assist iiim. 'J he chairman said he did noi think, irom various recent statements, thai there was now ; u much certainty. Mi Mathesnn said Uie last statement he saw seemed to show liiat the Mmister was annoyed because it was, demoted that power would he available ai Christmas, 1920. (lie chairman said the cost ol powei would (iri., n,l largely on the Board's I administration and economic working. They might spend £50,01X1 and havi! nothing to show lor it. The chairman was appointed to ucl : with the other Boards in the matter.! .Speaking at a later stage, Mr siei- , ieii »aid lornierJy there was a torn- ' "ii-..'. in Palmeiston that watched! levi opmeiits. II was suggested 10 | him I hat a commit,i e lie set up hj | lit-. Boat us lo carry on the same tun ■■ \ iii.ilis. it would he a serious matter ; ii there was delay in getting the ' noucr. lie an lersluud Ihe eoii.-ivt- , nig ol tiie tunnels was slow wetU, and it should be remembered that tin sum-; mer would have to be made ihe most J ol in the construction ol the Manga \ ban dam. 11 it was leit till March M would be too late and would mean waiting lor next summer. i;m.im:li;> kepoht. Tiiu lingiiieer reported: since being ■ here 1 have been engaged chielly cm ' the loan proposal poll, and have not 'devoted much, ullelltiuli lo any othei mipoitaiit matters. Money Iteiiuired.—Tlie loan hav mj been si.i'.cesslully earned, 1 Would ri"W recommend thai L'.'j.uuu be raised -i- i .-ooli as eomenieui, m older mat sub-j j -lantiul i'i ogres- may be made. Ullici I runil-ure.—Corresponds! ;e idles, materials lor drawing and the j like will be required almost mime- J I Jiate oi i'ower Available.—lt i- ne -j I essary thai the Board should be ad- ' vised as to the date when supply oi j J power will be available irom Manga- ; j liao, tiistlv. tu order that we may have j our principal town- ready, and --, - i oiidiy, that we siiould ilea enter into i 1 heavy expenditure before revenue is ' ■ earned. As an instance ol this lattei | I item, iTo.UUO speni in constructional j work and idle for six months would. amount in interest to IJioOO, in audi- . j Hon to other losses due to overhead ; Land and Buildings.—The purchase.! | ol a site suitable lor workshop, and collages shouid be put undei way. land anaiigeinents. entered into tor the k'onstruetioii ol suitable buildings ami (three cottages for employees. Engineer's Motor-ear.—lu terms oi ' engagement, in which a motor-ear is i to be provided lor use on the Board's I business, I have to report having .- e ! , tired same, and would now like to 'make arrangements regarding main- . tenance and upkeep. RAISING THE MONEY. Matters arising out o£ the Kngm'■•ei's repori were considered. The Board vent into committee to discuss the matter of raising the money required under the loan an-th.v.'t.-eu by the raiepayeis. The i-han--m:ui ami -oetetary were mstrii.-ied !■• | go to WeiiingioQ and mat.e certain j . incjuirie.- m segaid to raising money j ,n me I. mim market, and to report | immediately to the Finar.ee Committee, the matters o: ihe Engineer's mo-j tor-car and ihe purchase ol land and , buiidings were referred io tlie Finance : Commitiee witii power to act. SUITABLE POLES 1 Mr Gunning sail lie noticed that 1 another Board was talking o! going iif/wrth another public body to secure cV block of timber on the Main Trunk line irom which silver pine poles '. were to be obtained for use mo:ejicullation. The silver nine was spoken or as being very good tirriher, and there

I had been some complaints about- the quality ol some ol the hardwoods ! from Australia. The Engineer said several Boards in Uie Waikato went into the ques- ' tion, but they found that when they j came to get the poles out ttoey were ' not, suitable. The Telegraph Department had investigated silver pine but 1 had revolted to iron bark. Silver pine , was very brittle, and had tu be iian- ' died xevy carefully. Silver pine could I he used for the service lines. PERMANENT OFFILES. Mr Brown asked whether anything I was being done in regard to the per- ' inanent office accommodation. •Mr Matheson said Ihe Levin Borough Council's Committee was still making inquiries, and was Keen to put the mailer in shape as soon us possible n could not be hurriedly dealt j with. POWER BOARD'S OPERATIONS. PRELIMINARIES TO ACTIVE WORK. ; i At the meeting of the Horowhenua j j Power Board oi, Tuesday. Mr Matte- ! 'son a.-ked what work the Engineer j : would take in hand first. As much j • publicity as possible should be given i i to the Board's operations . | The Engineer said his hrst work ! | would be to get out the quantities of ! , material required, ami to call for lenI ders for the supply and delivery of j dial material, lie would first have, to make a more delinite estimate and j survey than he had dona. Mr Gunning thougld it rather a pity ihe Board was not ready lo go , 1 nil with some of the work, as it would relieve some of ihe unemployment. Later on, when all Ihe Boards were operating at once (here might be a i scarcity oJ labour. I The chairman said the Board was proceeding as fast .as ii could. Me had noi fell inclmed lo countenance I committing Ihe Board to expenditure until Ihe ratepayers had given their ' verdict. He agreed with Mr Gunning j ilinl it would he very nice to be able I io provide the work, bin considered J the Hoard had been judicious in Us | progress. j The Engineer said lie would start | ' out irom Shannon and work from , i 1,,.,,, to fiixion and Levin. in, ,«■ iiHii i ■ inn ■ i MwmiHtg(P