HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 20 June 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horowhonua Power. Board was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday Mr G-. A. Monk (chairman) presiding. Also present: Mr A. Brown, A. A. Boss, Barber, Kilshy, Mathesbn, Gunning, Seifert and Mackay. CORRESPONDENCE, lhe Shannon Borough Council wrote that they wished to confer with Vie Roard regarding Hie provision of an underground wire for a "silent policeman" which they were hiatal- i liny. Referred to the Engineer. FOXTON REQUIREMENTS. The Foxton Borough Council wrote asking lor a. quotation'for installing the necessary fittings and motor complete lor the pumping station at Fus-ion,-also for particulars of the Board's financing scheme. > • •Mr Ross stated that when Che loan lor improvements in Foxton was carried this was supposed to he provided for, but they now found themselves short of money. The Foxton people were now asking for the linanciai assistance of the Board 6u tin; .terms given to other consumers.—Referred to the Finance Committee. A letter was received from the Levi u Borough Council stating that the Board's license 'to store dangerous goods had expired on the 3Jst March. —Arranged. CONSUMERS BECOMING IMPATIE.VI Tlie Paraparauinu Ratepayers and Progressive Society wrote asking j' the Board could inform thorn definitely of the date on which power would be available, and also lor de- j tails of the Board's activities. A reply was sent stating that the date of supply depended entirely on * when power was available irom Mangahuo. The other questions were replied to in due course. The Dajnnevirke Electric Powet Board wrote for particulars ol the Board's "hot water supply" scheme. Left to the Engineer and secretary to reply to. • FOXTON BEACH ACTIVITY. The residents of the Foxton Beach

township wrote stating that there j were already 42 householders signed I . up as desiring to have electric light - installed, and that they expected to ' got .80 to 100 ibefore the canvass was ; completed. \ The chairman stated ihat thismat"ter wias mow (proceeding very satisfactorily. Ahout 60 consumers would -make the proposition a payable one and the commencement of'the erection of the line was in sight. Mr Ross asked if the Board had the right to rate for street lighting. If this was so'hie considered that some street lights should be included in the scheme. The chairman explained that the ' scheme adopted throughout the disttict was that the rate 'or lighting should be paid out of general rate. The Board had 'the right.to make a special rate hut it was not worth while making a- special district for such a small area as a township. >BULK SUPPLY. The Engineer of the Manawatu— Orona River Board (Mr F. C. Hay) wrote that on behalf of his Board which was a potential purchaser of power, he would like to interview the'Engineer of the Power Board In. regard to bulk rates. The River Board had to decide whether they would take electric power for their dredging operations which would amount to 200 horse power day and ' night for 24 years. TJh.fi chairman stated that the position was that the River Board wished to know how they stood in regard ! to nnwer, when they could put The j matter before their' ratepayers. He | understood that if arrangements could not be made, it was the in tention of the River Board to go direct to the Government.—Referred to the Wigineer for consultation with live River Board. Accounts totalling'£loll 2s 7d were passed for payment. Further pay- 1 nieiits amounting to £1335 10s Id were confirmed. ENGINEER'S REPOftT. The Engineer (Mr T. Overton) lepurted as follows: Buildings:, The Cottage in M'ako* .Mako road ha* been completed and us now occupied by the Installation Inspector. The front fence and gateart: being erected, whilst the paths, etc., will he formed as soon as a lorry can spared to do the necessary i net a! carting. Installations: The formation ol Group No. 11, in Levin Borough, is in progress, and to date tb coiisum"is have signed op. This group will be completed about, the end ol next wek. Group 12, consisting principally of industrial motors will be read'* to advertise at the snme time. The ° contnucto'rs are making .good progress with Groups : J ., A. 5 and 6, ' and at the present time installations are being completed at the rate of about 80 per month. Twelve additional installations havo been placed in Groups h and 5, Levin West. In Shannon 15 more houses have been tested and connected, making a total 0] 137 supplied within the BoroughWork'in Group 7, Otaki, is in progress, whilst tenders for Group !), also in Otaki, are submitted herewilh. The tender of Messrs Eeles and Co. at £927 10s 6d, being flic lowest, I would recommend same for accept: ance.

The canvassing of Manakau town-1 ship and along the route of the south . . lino to Otaki is at prosont being cur- j ried out. The total consumers in the Board's district signed up to date aTO as follow : Lighting ... ... 883 ' Ranges/ 40 Water Heaters 47 Motors 51 Industrial Motors 32 - Line Erecting: No. 1 Pole Gang Iwive completed the Levin Borough . a-nd, low tension. pole lines in the vi- ' oinity, Otaki railway and main portion of the Borough; the gang is now working on the Otaki Beach lines. No a Pole Gang have completed Paekakariki townsMp and the gap which was' left «k tfie Rawnati Estate. Since

completing the pole erecting the gang has been employed running out wire between Otaki and Waikanae, 000 chains Being run out to date.

No. 1 Wire Gang: This'Gang has Von employed chiefly in Levin Boron <rh whoi-p they have completed 1360 chains of high 'and low tension wiring, erected &J street lamps and con*nected S2 houses: men from this gang also connected three houses at Shannon.

No. 2 Wire Gang who are stationed in Foxton Borough have completed the high tension line from the main sub-station to the Borough boundary on the Lady's Mile road, whilst within the Borough they have erected 226 chains of low tension wiring, 27 street lamps, and run service lines to • 45 houses. During the month three wircmen were taken from this gang to form portion of another gang for the- Otaki district. No. 3 Wire Gang working in Otaki Borough, have erected the 11.000 volt line across the Otaki river, and after doing this they have concentrated on work within the Borough; to date thov have run 1-530 chains of wire and placed nine telephone crossings under-ground. No. 4 Wire Gang: In order to push forward with the main line between Otaki and Paekakariki, an additional wiring gang was started during the month. To date thai gang have completed two miles of line south of ,the Otaki river.

Sub-Stations: Out-door sub-stations have been completed at Paekakariki and Paraparaumu. Switch-gear and other material which has come forward is being erected in Shannon, Foxton and Levin sub-stations.

Workshops: During the period six 11,000 volt panels have been made up, making a total to date of 31. Other work has been turned out as follows: Cross arms 348, ear.fch-gtA.rds 23, earth pipes 36, large shackles 110, eye bolts, various sizes 72, stays 100, spacing blocks 200, air-break switches for substations 2.

~'General*:' Cfohled advice has been received (that 73 transformers (contract No./ 10) are on the water; substation cubicles (contract No. 15) for Shannon and Levin, arc. notified as being on board the "Kent," due in a fortnight's time. ..

fti accordance w:i>flh instructions given at last Board meeting, I took up the master of an exhibit at the Pnhnerston North show, w'itih the Borough Council's Electricaa Engineer, and we have arranged to provide a. cooking demonstration ■ during the fwrternoon. at ain estiintaidd expenditure to this Board of £lO. No suitable s|>*ice other than that already secured by the Borough. Council could bo procured for an elecirical exhibit by combined Power Boards, hence the proposal was not.pressed forward with engineers- to other boards. Should it be desired, however, that such an exhibit should take place next yean', it would be necessary to book a space at ,an early date. With regard to temporary street lighting at Shannon, I have to; say' that in company with Messrs Barber and Seifert an agreement was made on behalf of the Board, with the Mayor and representatives of the Borough Council, to ctijarge for street lighting at the rate of £4 15s per lamp year for supply until 11.30 p.m. In moving the adoption of the'Engineer's report the chairman stated rlia.t under the circumstances, the arrangements made for a cookery demonstration were very satisfactory. Mr Gunning said t<ha.t this demonstration was one of great, importance to housewives and should be given full publicity. He was sure that a great m.anv women would visit the demonstration if they knew it Was beine held. Tin' chairman stated that as soon as the power became available the Board would have to employ a demonstrator to give demonstrations in (lie different townships throughout the district. It .had been suggested that one should he obtained for Shannon now, but that would he unsatis-, fa'cfnrv as the work in one township 1 would' be. only for a few days. Once the Board engaged a demons traitor it would be desirable tha.t the employment should he 'continuous until the whole of the district had hoen done. The Engineer's report was adopted,