POWER BOARD POLES.

Shannon News, 20 March 1923, Page 3

POWER BOARD POLES.

(To the Editor.) • Sir, —1 enclose cutting from the Evening Post of remarks by Mr W. T. Strand, Mayor of Lower Hutt, who is 1 not only an old settler hut is looked upon as a sound and practical man of good judgment, on the suitability of birch for electric light poles, from which you will see that he considers it not only as lasting as Australian hardwood, giving instances of a stockyard 50 years old, a culvert 50 years, and piles in the river for over 30 years, in all these cases .without the slightest deterioration, and he says the cost of birch piles is only a quarter that of Australian hardwood! Surely a very great consideration, it the timber has such lasting qualities. But lor all that lie says the ideal material for electric light poles is reinforced concrete, and gives this as the opinion of a prominent Government engineer. Tt is probably too late now for the Ilorowhenua Bywer Board to' reconsider their decision tp use the' Australian timber for a great; part at least- of their requirements, but jt might be worth while to consider if they could not at least save the consumers some of the money that, it appears on the surface, might- iiave been saved in the cost if birclx had been ordered instead of Australian wood. It might have meant a useful reduction in the price of current to consumers.—l am, etc., G. H. BLACKBURNE.

The Power Board went very fully into the question of poles from every • angle, and so did all the other Boards in the Dominion. The information ob- 1 taifieu showed that reinforced concrete had been tried out by the Dunedin City Council and the Telegraph Department, and in both cases this material was found unsuitable from the cost and safety points of view. No New Zealand timber can be Obtained in the necessary quantity or at a cost that, can compete, with Australian hardwood. If it could, our correspondent may be sure that one or other of the Power Boards would* long ago have adopted the Dominion timber. Suggestions as to economical working are at ail times welcome in any public enterprise, but it should not be assumed, without some inquiry that responsible boards, have failed to investigate fully the possible sources of supply.—Chronicle.