“SAPPING” OF ELECTRIC POLES.

Shannon News, 22 December 1922, Page 2

“SAPPING” OF ELECTRIC POLES.

PROPOSAL BY MR A- SEIFERT

At the meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board on Tuesday, Mr A. Seifert, who recently visited Australia, Said he considered the Board should have its transmission poles “sapped” before importing them from Australia, and thought it would pay the Board to do so. He explained that if they got the sap wood taken off it would raise the cost of the poles by about 20 per cent, but would give the timber double the life, because it- would be heart wood they would receive. He would be pleased to go into'the matter with the Engineer and submit a report to next meeting. Mr Seifert pointed out that by taking the timber in its natural state with the sap on, the Board would be paying a large amount in freight on sap or useless timber, whilst there would be no more freight to pay on heart wood. It was true they may have to wait a little longer for the poles, but it would pay to do so. He believed an electric scheme in the South Island was finding that poles .which bad now r lost the sap Avood v 7 ere considerably smaller in dimensions than when erected. He bad seen photos of poles which were originally 11 inches in diameter with ljin of sap now 7 reduced to 8 inches. New Zealand w 7 as paying an enormous amount for the., useless sap wood. If it was going to double the life of the poles the Board would be well repaid to sap the poles. The Engineer (Mr Overton) stated that the Board’s specifications w£ ere for one inch of sap round the poles. He had heard different opinions as to the effect of sap, on the poles. Some .said it w 7 as a good thing to protect the heart. Experts in Australia told the speaker that straight out, whilst others said the opposite. Mr D. W. Matheson: Can you tell us something from the standpoint of price P Mr Overton: Sapped poles will cost about 30 per cent more. He added that it was impossible to get off all the sap owing to the growth of the poles, which was not always straight or regular. Even hewn poles had sap wood at the coiners. Mr A. A. Brown: To take the sap off costs 30 per cent more? Mr Overton: Yes.

In reply to Mr W. E. Barber, Mr Seil'ert said bp agreed that the presence of the sap would not affect the

quality of the heart. Tiie chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) said Mr Seifert’s argument was that we in New Zealand were using poles that were too small, and it would be better to take larger poles at a little higher price but which would not cost us any more in freight. He suggested the' Board should try the scheme on some of its poles. Mr Seifert: Ffom the waterfront in Australia to New' Zealand 40 per cent of the cost of the poles is absorbed by way of freight. Mr Matlieson said the point that concerned the layman was that of cost.

Mr Seifert -said it would cost, the Board the same amount in freight to bring over, say, llin poles with sap on ns it would 1.1 in poles that had been sapped or scraped. The difference was they would have a longer life and therefore 'would he a much better proposition to the Board. It was unanimously decided to adopt Mr Seifert’s suggestion that he and the Engineer prepare a report on the matter for next meeting.