POWER BOARD’S OPERATIONS.

Shannon News, 31 October 1922, Page 2

POWER BOARD’S OPERATIONS.

PLOTTING THE DISTRICT,

Work in connection wi th the Horowhenua Power Board’s programme is going steadily forward. Last week the responsible officers of the Telegraph Department traversed the district with Mr Overton, the Board’s Engineer, in order to observe the relation of the route of the main transmission lines to the telegraph and telephone wires. The Department has to be; satisfied on this score before the Board’s plans can be passed. In the meantime, Mr W. K. Stewart, who is responsible under the Engineer for the field work, is engaged in gathering data for the detailed maps of the district, which will enable the position of probable consumers to be plotted. Mr C. W. Foster is acting as draughtsman, and the preparation of the plans is in his hands.

The Manawatu Power Board has arranged for a loan of £400,000 in Australia. The, rate of interest is approximately 5J per cent, £50,000 payable in January, and £IO,OOO a month thereafter free of exchange. The term is 20 years, and the sinking fund 1 per cent. Mr K. Eglinton has been appointed clerk to the Board. At a meeting of the Manawatu Board yesterday, the chairman read a letter he had just, received from Captain Ellis, in which he stated that 75 per cent of all the millions of poles used in Canada for electric transmission lines were of cedar. Under average conditions the life of these Western Red Cedar poles was from 15 to 20 years, but when the butt was properly treated they would last from 15 to 35 years. 'The cost of the treatment was about one-third more than untreated poles. A saving which would be effected' by the use of cedar poles was in the cost of transport, by reason of their lightness.