HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 22 August 1924, Page 4

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY .MEETING. The .of the Horowkenua Power Board held on ( Tuesday, >the .chairman, Mr. G, A. , Monk, - presiding. Also present: Messrs ■Brawn, Boss, KlLlsby, < Barber, Mathoso%<Gunning, Soifcrt and Mackay. Correspondence. A letter .was-received -from the Shannon Borough Council in response to -the Board's applicatibnfor-improve-monts to the. approaches >to ; tho Board's cottage and substation, stating the Council did not effect improvements to private -property. , , \.V Mr. Gunning stated that the trouble was that a considerable amount -of draining would bo required in this locality and that if the Board were to drain for one property owner it would j have- to do so for others. At the same time it was recognised that this was in the nature of a public utility, and a recommendation had been moved that the matter be referred to the Road's Committee. If the Board's engineer would confer with this committee, some arrangement might be arrived at. — Agreed to. Wholesale Supply. The Manawatu-Oroua River Board wrote thanking the Board for particulars supplied as to cost of 200 horsepower for the purpose ,of. operating dredges, etc. They pointed out that until their plans were fully decided on they could not go further with the matter, but that the figures supplied would bo sufficient to enable a comparison to bo made between the cost of electricity and other powers, ,which was what it was .desired to ascertain.—Received. From Mr. D. M. O'Connor suggesting that ,the Board purphase ifroni him a piece of land one chain by. two for the purpose of forming a load to give across to their property; recently purchased ■ from him. Mr., Soifert said that yras that when .the property was purchased from Mr. ,0 'Connor there iwas some .understanding -that this .piece ,of land would be dedicated for a road. The road, wen if .dedicated, would be of no use to the Board, howcyer, wnich had an entrance from another road The letter was received. Accounts for* Payment. Accounts totalling .£IBOS 7s 4d were passed for payment. I Collection • fit Accounts. | Mr. A. A. Ross asked what was the usual way of collecting, accounts. The engineer stated that in the Waikato a meter leader went -round and s read the meters, after which the accounts were sent out. This, however, was found costly and 'the abandonment of the system was contemplated. In Dunedinand other South Island dis- ' tricts a system of allowing consumers i : to read their own meters was in vogue: and found fairly satisfactory. 'ln-; spectors went round periodically and) i checked up results. It was proposed t to try this out in the Manawatu and, • it would bo interesting to see how it > would work put. . i Mr. Ross said that the local district i was not a difficult one. Here perhaps i it would be better to have a nwter- * reader, give ,a. discount for I ment, and enforce a. penalty for outstanding , accounts. jn . running was of the .opinion that a card system, .the consumer to fill in '' the card, would .be satisfactory. The, Inspector would provide the necessary i check. The chairman ,said ithat m ,all probability some' such schemo would have ; to be adqptcd in the Boroughs at \ least. -The matter would be gone into \ fully Mater, on.

Engineer's Report. The engineer (Mr. T. Overton) rc- ! ported as follows: — Line Construction. —The pole gang have completed erecting poles on the Rangiuru and Tasman, Beach settlements within Otaki Borough, also the low-tension line from Bruco Roadj | south of Levin, low-tension pole lines in Koslyn Road, Kawiu Road East] part of Lindsay Road and a short stretch on the Foxton-Levin Road. The gang are now engaged on the Levin: Foxton 11,000 %olt line and have reach; ed the flax loading bank. '"■■•'■ j No. 1 Wire Gang.—This gang have now practically completed the eastern side of the railway line and Oxford Street. During the period they have erected 1762 .chains of wire, 37 street lights and 23 service lii»es. " No. 2 Wire the previr ous month the gang was cut down to three and has been brought up to five since being employed in Levin. Before leaving Foxton, 162 chains of .low-ten-sion .were run, four Post and Telegraph service crossings undergrpunded,, two streets lights and twenty service lines were erected. The gang are now work: ing in Weraroa on service lines. No. 3 Wire Gang.—Have completed the line wiring in the main part of Otaki Borough, run 145 chains ; of, low? ■ tension and erected 19 jSfcreet lightsj they are now employed on service unes, and during the month have completed, 35.

No. 4 Wire Gang.—Working between Waikanao and Paekakariki, have un-der-grounded seven Post and Telegraph crossings, run 381 chains and tied-in 1143 chains of main line, seventeen earth-guards have been erected.. The line is now completed with the exception of a few earth'guards to the tputh of Paiaparaumu. Substations. —The sub-station fitters have erected four sub-station .platforms, whilst -the Shannon nrainusubstation is now -practically completed. The .3 K.V.A. transformer on Shannon East sub-station has l been changed to 5 JK.V.A., this has been supplying current to settlers on -that road for some . weeks. •

Pole Carting.—-During half of the month 167 poles were carted, chiefly from Te Horo, Foxton ana -Otaki. The other fortnight has 99cn occupied in carting shingle at Shannon and Levin buildings, also clearing several raiL way yards of odd mimbers of poles. Workshop. —Six 11,000 volt panels have been completed, making a total of 43 to date. Wiring of the depot buildings has been completed. The valves have been ground in on No, 2

truck. Repairs to No. 1 truck have been effected, requiring a new set of pinions in the differential gear.

Routine work has been turned out as follows: —Cross-arms 476, angle hooks fiO, braces 116, earth-guards 20, substation handrails 3 sots, top and spacing blocks 145, earth pipes 24, pipe braces 30, triangle straps 283, eye bolts 48.

Installations.—r-All of the dairy factories in the Board's district with the exception of the Wellington Municipal Milk Supply factory at Otaki, have decided to take ' electricity for driving their plants. During the month 81 installations have been tested and passed for payment. Messrs R. Y. Walls and Co,, Ltd., have completed 60 jobs in the Foxton Borough, and Mr. ;Walls stated, that he is arranging for three more firemen to commence on milkplants and houses. between Moutoa and Foxton. Contractors in Levin Borough are not speeding.up the work on account of not being able to secure wiremen. The group on. the eastern sidw of the railway line has .not beei: started.. .Messrs G-. F. Kelps and O are making good progress with groups seven and nine, Otaki. Canvassing is now going on in the vicinity of Gladstone Road and south of Otaki River.

The <total number of consumers signed up, to date, in the Board's district is as follows: —Lighting 920, ranges 34, industrial motors 61, milking motors 60, water heaters 55. Tenders and Contracts. —Tenders are being called for dairy factory installations, and wiring of the Levin theatre and Municipal buildings. With'regard to the /tenders for electric ranges, I have to recommend the following:—

Turnbull and Jones. —Moffat -manufacture,3o ranges E 34, with 5 spare olements in each size required, at schedule prices. Samuel Brown, Ltd.—McGlary manufacture, catalogue No. 13, 10 ranges, prices and spares as per schedule. Contract No. 33 (high-tension insula-tors).—-I have to recommend the tender, of Messrs A. D. Riley and Co., Ltd., Bulier manufacture, at £375 for the lot. General.—Supplies of triple-braided cable have been received during the month and further small quantities ordered. After obtaining quotations, an order was placed with Messrs, Samuel Brown, Ltd., for a further eight tons of copper wire. . The fence and gates in front of the sub-station anu cottage at Shannon and the new cottage in Mako Mako Road has been finished. Cupboards and benches have been fixed in the test-room where meter testing and the like may now. be carried on. , In moving the adoption of the engineer's .report the chairman said that there was one matter on which the district might be congratulated and that was that the whole .of the dairy factories in the district had been signed up, the total horse-power which would be used being'2s7J. .Mr. Kilsby said that this was a good load to other industries in the district.

The engineer 's report was adopted.