HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 24 October 1924, Page 3

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. At tile monthly meeting o.f the Horowhenua Power Board, th© Engineer (Mr T. Oveorton) reported as luuqws:-* Eiue Construction,—The Pole Gang have completed Bnckley and Koputu- . road lines; this work was pushed on m order to. give supply to Spcirs’ new uaxmnl, when current is available, ilie gang qre now working in the southern .area, at present in the vicinity of Rahui Factory, alter which they will proceed at .Te Horo. No. 1 Wire Gang have connected 70 services in Fox ton Borough, also completed one high tension telegraph crossing on Foxton-Levin road. Thirty-five service hnes have been run in Levin Luiuuga. The Gang are now working on Buckley road line and have reached as far as Easton’s Swamp. No. 2 Wire Gang have completed all services in Queen street, also 24 in Levin Borough, 150 chains of wire on Arapaepae and Roslyn roads. This gang ig now working in Levin Borough livening up installations. No. 3 Wire Gang have completed 50 service lines in Otaki Borough and Beach Settlements and ran out 460 chains of high tension wiring to beaches; 14 street Jumps have .been erected. No. 4 Wire Gang have completed the low tension wiring and street lighting in Manakau Township, also between Manakau and Ojtaki on the main South line. This work - included 28 service lines and 6 street lights, now tension wiring and street lighting is now proceeding in Paekakariki. SubhSffcation Fitters.—Transformer ; platforms at. Lpvdn iDa/iry Factory, < Rangiuru Beach, Tasman Beach and Heatherlea comer have heen erected. Transformers are now wired up on ; all platforms between Levin and s Shannon, and Shannon and Foxton. \ Transformers have yet to.be installed i between Levin and oiaki, which work i will be gone on with almost iin meet- r lately; .The main sub-stalions at Otaki and Foxton are complete. 1 Pole Lorry.—ln addition to carry- a ing put 147 poles, the lorry has s been employed carting out all heavy { transformers and material for line li work and timber for transformer centres, esides wire, etc., from the p station. . i!

'Workshops—The principal work undertaken in the workshop has been repairs to No. 2 truck; water heaters tQ the number of 28 built up; testing out (Afferent makes Qi motors which h,ave been submitted with tenders, and three .11,000 vor panels 'have been made up, making a total to date of 47, Routine work has been turned , qut as follows Gross arms 471, earth guard sets 15, lamp brackets’ 8, 'Jow

tension U shackles 20, insulated stools 12, high' tension sub-station fuses 9, earth pipes 24, cross-arm braces 458,

triangle straps 510, low tension shackle straps 9281, eye bolts 18, low tension outdoor fuses 34, spacing blocks 40. Installations—During the monin 150 installations, have been tested and passed for payment, and 319

meters have been fitted in various installations. The total number oi consumers now being supplied under temporary arrangements has reached 230. Within the Roard’s district, consumers have signed up as follows: Lighting 1114 Ranges ... ... ... ... ... 66 • Industrial Motors ... ... 65 Milking Motors - 97 Water Heaters ..y ... ... 91 (The P/aekakariki "Group has been formed, which comprises 72 lighting installations, 9 ranges, 9 water heatexs, 1 milking motor.. Sixty week- ■ end cottage owners are being communicated with and it is expected jthfi.t a number of these will take the light. The Paraparaumu Group is now in progress. Speaking generally, the installation work is moving well. One firm, however, i.s. behind time with their contract arid if better progress is not established during the coming week, 1 •would-l.ike authority to arrange possibly with another firm to take over some of their jobs. Since last meptingf the contract, committee met and awarded tnree groups, namely:—" (1) Gladstone and Kimberley roads, (2) PiakarKQputmo.a- , " (3) Te Horq-Hautere Gross, Messrs Manson and Barr, Ltd.,, ui Palmerston North, was the successful tenderer. Messrs Holben Hubbard and Go.,

Ltd.,’ have commenced work on theGovernment buildings groups, wlncn comprises Post Oifhcjes, Police Stations," .Court Houses, Drill Hails and residences in the whole of the Board’s area.

We are now negotiating with the Education Board with, a view i<« fighting and heating in schools am. rjesidemoes imder tfieor; jurisdiution. Contracts.—-Contract 47: Supply and delivery of large transformers, Contract 51; Supply üb4 delivery oi dairy farm motors, and contract 46 supply and delivery of maximum demand indicators, have been dealt with as follows:---In View o.f the fact that tinlarge flax-mill firms are signing up contracts for the supply of motors, etc., I obtained the consent Of tlie chairman to. proceed in ordering Hie transformers, subject therefore, to the confirmation of the Board, the order has been placed With Messrs A. D. Riley and Co., Ltd., Wellington, fofi EJenranti .transformers; of English, .manufacture. The tenders axe submitted herewith and you will notice that A. D. Riley’s tender is not the lowest, but the efficiencies guaranteed more than compensate for the higher price above .that of the lowest complete tender, namely £246.

Contract 51—Supply of Farm Motors—Tenders are submitted fiere-

with. I shall require tq make a test on one more motor, which is expected to arrive to-morrow and hope to be in a position to make a recommendation at thq meeting on Tuesday. 1 •Contract 49: Supply of Maximum • Demand Indicators: As authorised at last Board meeting, the tender of the ' Aijbim Electrical Gompany of Auckland, at £245 was accepted. General: Pressure on transport has been felt veiry acutely during the past

month, and with the chairman, different light trucks were inspected. We would recommend the Offer of Dominion Motors Ltd., for 1 15-c\vd. Chevrolet. Our supply of motors are going out rapidly and I would recommend tenders being called for a further" quantity. The Public .Works Department have been able to give us a further supply of 40 fi.p. from the steam plum,, ami the loan Of a suitable transformer to utilise same, in . consequence we have been able to light up 79 street lights in Levin and 70 installations —this took effect from file, 9th iust.

Application has been made by Messrs Fiarper; Bros., off Hokio B.eaon road, for supply for flaxmilling and milking purposes which will necessitate an extension of 120; chains oi high, tension line:. I would recommend that .authority be granted to proceed with the work so that tneuplaits to commence work in January next cun be met. .

In moving file adoption of the report the chairman said he was pleased to see that some current had been made available to Levin. The iignts had completely altered the appoau? ance of the streets /and on the whole w|ere very satisfactory. He understood that Gro.up contracts were be-' bag called for Paekakariki and Paraparaumu., (and these would shortly be let, so that tlie Board would he able to supply power south of Otaki shortly after the Miangahao supply became available. TEMPORARY POWER SUPPLY. Mr. Kilsby stated that many of the people in Otaki were complaining that Levin had received the power before otaki h&d. He would like to heai' the Engineer’s statement ‘on the point.

The Engineer stated that at present the Board was only dealing with a pressure of 300 Q volts. Even in ' Levin this was not very satisfactory. If they were' to take it to Otaki it would be only a glimmer. Mr Ross, said that he had also had complaints from Fox ton residents. He was glad to hear that there was a definite probability of receiving the power about the end of the month and he thought that this should relieve any feeling which might be felt on this point.