POWER BOARD'S PROGRESS.

Shannon News, 19 September 1924, Page 3

POWER BOARD'S PROGRESS.

OVER A THOUSAND CONSUMERS. REDUCTION IN POWER CHARGES. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Power, ' Board was held on Tuesday. -Mr. G. A. Monk (chairman) presided, and there were also present Messrs Brown, Ross, Barber, Mackay, Gunning and Seifert. Engineer’s Report. The engineer (Mr. T. Overton) reported as follows: — * Line Construction. —The pole gang have completed the Levin-Foxton line as far as Porotawhao School and about three-quarters of a mile from Heatherlea corner along the Koputaroa Road. Queen Street East, via. Gladstone Road to Kimberley Road has also been completed, giving supply to the Boys’ Training Farm. At present the gang are erecting low tension lines in Manakau township. The next work to be put in hand is the Te Horo-Hautere Cross Road and after this the Buckley Road-Koputaroa line. No. 1 Wire Gang have cleared the Shannon-Foxt<*a line and livened same up with 3000 volts in order to give supply to two sheds where the engines could not carry on any longer. i*6 chains of low tension wire has been erected in Shannon Borough and 64 service lines in Levin and Shannon. Four street lamps have been erected in Levin, including one special lamp for the Borough gardens. No. 2 Wire Gang have run 360 chains of 11,000 volt wire on Queen Street East, and 840 chains of low tension on the same line, besides completing the Village Settlement line in Weraroa. This gang have also run 23 service lines in Levin Borough and 5 in Queen Street East. Four post and telegraph crossings have been undergrounded. No. 3 Wire Gang have completed 580 chains of wiring on the high tension extensions to Otaki Beaches and run 48 service lines and erected 3 street lamps in Otaki Borough. No. 4 Wire Gang—This gang have completed the 11,000 volts line to Paekakariki sub-station, and during the month have run 800 chains of wiring besides erecting 5 earthward crossings and a number of earth-hooks on angles, etc. Owing to the Paekakariki township not being canvassed the gang have been shifted to Manakau and are employed on low tension work there. Sub-station Work—During the month sub-station men have been engaged on transformers in the main depot drying out and preparing same for the main Six transformers have been placed in position ready for livening up. Pole Lorry.—l3s poles have been carried out on Kimberley Road and Koputaroa. The lorry has been otherwise employed carting out _ transformers, wire and material ex-rail to store. Workshop.—The principal repairs to cars and lorries have been: (1) foreman’s car; . (2) installation inspector’s car (Otaki), overhauled. No. 2 Ford lorry ran out a bearing, and No. 3 Ford truck developed a short circuit in the field coil of the ignition. Iron work for the Levin sub-station has been made up; also the following: cross-arms 189, braces 685, earth-pipes 84, sub-station panel 1, portable earthing sets 4,- angle hooks 50, earth-guard sets 17, triangle straps 760, low tension fuses 6, dressing and fitting bracket on garden’s lamp. Installations.—During . the month groups have been formed as follows: Gladstone and Kimberley Roads, PiakaKoputaroa, Te Horo-Hautere Cross. These groups will be advertised during the coming week. Immediately after last meeting 43 applications were received from the Foxton Heads District, and it is proposed to form same into a group. The total number of consumers signed up, to date, are as follows: ' Lighting 1037 Ranges • • 50 Milking Motors 92 Water Heaters 64 Industrial Motors 67

Eight milking motors were connected up in the vicinity of Shannon during the month. About 100 installations have been inspected and passed and 70 more are now ready for final inspection. Four hundred and fifty meters have been tested during the period and a start has been made erecting same. At the end of the month we shall have over 500 consumers ready to take supply. Tenders and Contractors. —The committee set up at last meeting met during the month and awarded the dairy factory group to the lowest tenderer Messrs H. N. Maunder and Co., Wangjanui. After consultation with the Foxton Borough Council Works Committee, their water supply motor was let to the lowest tenderer—Messrs Maunder and Co. A recommendation in connection with the electrical installation for the Levin theatre and Municipal buildings has been forwarded to the Borough Council. .

Tenders have been received for a supply of maximum demand indicators and 1 would like authority to proceed in placing an order. A further quantity of Australian poles will be required shortly and I propose obtaining quotations. Schedule of Charges.—ln order to meet cases put forward, such as the Manawatu Heads and other seaside settlements in the Board's area, I would recommend an additional rate as follows: —

Seaside Cottage Rate:— Animal minimum service charge I 30s. This payment shall entitle the consumer to 40 units of electricity annually; all j units used in excess of this amount shall be charged at 9d per unit, nett. Our inspector? have been asked on one or two occasions to quote rates for shearing machine motors and ns same are not provided for, I would "eeommend an additional rato as follows: — Power for Shearing Machine Motors and the like:—4£d per unit, minimum charge; £1 per . K.V.A. per annum. With regard to the general power

rate (other than, milking machines) at present in force, our experience after canvassing in the principal centres where this rate would apply, discloses the fact that prices work out high compared with internal combustion engines. I would therefore recommend that this rate be cancelled and the following substituted:— ' 4 r r General Po>ver (other than milking machines): Four pence per unit for the first 100 units per month; threepence per unit for The second 100 units per month and twopence per unit for all units used in excess of this , amount. Minimum charge 5s per K.V.A. of connected load per month, up to and including two K.V.A., and 2s 6d per K.V.A. per month for all over that amount. General. —The local wiling contractors are having some difficulty in obtaining small motors for dairy installations, and. after talking the matter over with them, I am of opinion that iJoaid would be able to assist eon sidcrably by securing these particular motors and passing same on to them to install in group contracts. I would therefore recommend that authority be given to purchase required quantities in order to meet urgent demands. Well attended meetings at Koputaroa an’ Paekakariki were hell during the month, whl.h were follow et up Oy a canvass of the districts. In the case of the former, every farmer has signel up, and I hiv? no doubt that g"od results will be obtained in Paekakariki. * Rates for Seaside Cottages. In moving the adoption of the -report, the chairman s said that the Board would be well advised to see that there was not a shortage of engines which would hold up the work. The most complicated question raised by the report was the seaside cottage rate. Within the next few months there would be five seaside townships connected up. Whilst the Board wished to make things as easy as possible for the seaside cottage owners they must look to it that a loss was not made. It looked as if th’e rate proposed by the engineer should cover the case. It gave a reasonable concession in short period consumption eases but it was not one that advantage could be taken of, as it would pay permanent us’ers better to take the ordinary rate. Mr. Ross asked if it would be possible to get the Foxton beach township connected up before the holidays.

The engineer stated that the Board would be able to get the lines out. It would then depend on the contractors who were doing the wiring, unfortunately there was a shortage of wiremon. The report was adopted.