HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Shannon News, 24 February 1925, Page 4

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board was held on Tuesday, Mr. G. A. Monk, chairman, presiding. Also present Messrs Brown, Kilsby, Mackay, Siefert, Gunning, and Barber. Leave of absence was granted to Messrs Ross and Matheson. Correspondence. Power for Sawmill. Mr. R. N. Spiers, timber merchant, Foxton, applied for power to drive his mill, at the same rate as supplied to flax-millers. The chairman stated that the matter had been referred to the engineer and himself sometime ago, and he would suggest that it be left in their hands. He could not.hold out. any hope that they could supply power at the same price as given to flax-millers, but he thought that the matter was one for negotiation. —Agreed to. Raumati Installations.

Mr. J. Patterson, Raumati Road, Paraparaumu, wrote stating that he had heard that the pole-erecting gang was leaving the district without having erected poles in his locality. He stated that there were a number of I prospective consumers, none of whom had been canvassed, and protested against the neglect of the A Board in not having canvassed these, and its apparent indifference to the requirements of the place. The chairman stated that this district would receive attention in due course. The work was held up at present owing to lack of poles, and strike in Australia having delayed shipments. He would suggest that any literature on hand should be sent to these pe'qple. Mr. Mackay said that there Were about 25 prospective consumers in this locality. He would suggest that the residents be written to stating that the matter would receive early attention. At the same time he would like to have it pointed out that a meeting had been called in this district, but these people had not seen lit to attend it, so that they were themselves to blame to a certain degree. The course suggested was agreed to. Visit of Southland Board's Officers. The Southland Power Board wrote stating that it was proposed to_ send its secretary and one of its engineers ,to visit Power Boards already in operation throughout the country for the ! purpose of gaining insight into the best means of working their respective departments. They asked permission to have their officers study the methods employed by the Horowhenua Board. On the motion of the chairman it was decided to cordially invite the Southland Board's officers to visit the district. Danger to Traffic. From the Paraparaumu Ratepayers and Progressive Association, asking that the pole placed near the railway station be painted white as it was at present a source of danger to traffic. Referred to Mr. Mackay and the engineer with power to act. Accounts for Payment. Accounts totalling £4355 8s lid were passed for payment, this including one i account of £BOO sinking fund on loan to the Public Trustee. Waikanae Group. The tender of Messrs Lunn and Henley of £491 18s was accepted for the Waikanae wiring group. Engineer's Report. The engineer (Mr. T. Overton) reported as follows: —

Line Construction. —The pole gang were engaged for nearly a we'ek in and around Levin on line extension work — chiefly off Gladstone Road loop an 1 Beach Road. They Were then shifted to Paraparaumu where the reticulation of themain township and beach township with the high tension line connecting same has been completed. Wire Gang No. I.—Shannon-Toko-mar section ran out 760 chains of wire, erected 20 low tension poles, completed nine farm service lines, erected 12 tension e'irth-guards, cnanged tramformers at Seifert'-J mill and complete i the sub-stations at Dalzeli 's mill and Tokomaru Dairy Factory, also low tension line to latter. Wire Gang No. 2.—This gang has completed the remainder of the low tension wiring along the sea front at Foxton Heads, also a number of additional service lines about the township. They completed the 11,000 volt line to Ross, Rough and Company's and Nye's flaxmills from Foxton mr.iu sub-station and connected tho low tension line to the former. Starting in at Kimberlcy Road j they completed the 11,000 volt line from Gladstone Road and in all ran out 1517 chains of wire. Total service lines run, 26. Wire Gang No. 3.—Completed Otaki beach and Rahui Valley low tension extension, ran low tension lines at Gleeson's Road, Manakau, and were moved on to Paraparaumu where they are now Well forward with wiring the main township. Total services run, 31. Wire Gang No. 4. —Working from Te Horo have completed the 11,000 volt loop line from railway line to Otaki Gorge Road, together with low tension lines. During the month they erected 21 service lines. The gang were two men short for the military training period. Wire, Gang No. 5. —Completed the 11,000 volt line along Gladstone Road as' far as Kimberley Road, in which.' 1005 chains of wire were tied in, ran i low tension lines in Denton's Road, i they also erected servico lines in Levin I Borough and Gladstone Road area to! the number of 28. Sub-station fitters. Transformer platforms and sub-stations have been erected at Harper's mill, McDonald's Road, Gladstone Road (two), Te Horo loop, Tokomaru Dairy Company, Loughan's mill and two in Foxton on flaxmill circuit.

Polo Lorry. —Has carted out 115 poles in Tokomaru, Te Horo loop, Paraparaumu and Paraparaumu beach ; otherwise the lorry has been fully employed carting out heavy line materials. Workshops. —Garage repairs have ' been carried out to the extent of an overhaul to number two truck, fitting new piston rings and reverse drum,

also a new piston ring in number three { truck; other work consisting of minor ? repairs and .adjustments have been 4 made to the Ford cars. The saw bench | has had new bearing metal run in bear- [ ings and new saw fitted. Three line isolating switches have been > made and three 11,000 volt panels assembled. Routine work was as follows:—Crossarms 530, cross-arm braces 720, top and spacing blocks 90, pipe stays 16, low tension straps 360, water heaters 13, angle hooks 25, earth-guards 24, earth-pipes 89, triangle straps 430, large U shackles 50. Installations.—Messrs R. Y. Walls and Co have completed their groups in Foxton. Allen and Gilmour have completed their group in Levin Borough I and district. Manson and Barr are making good progress with Gladstone and Kimberley Road groups, and will be completed in the course of a week. It is their intention to push ahead with the Koputaroa group. i Dairy Factory Group.—Under Maunder and Co. is not yet finished. The Tokomaru Dairy Company have doubled the size of the freezer and will therefore require a 20 h.p. motor in place of the 10 h.p. originally specified and installed; a three h.p. motor is also too small on the agitators and pasturiser, and a five h.p. will be required. These matters are receiving attention. J. B. Wilson is making good progress with the Paekakariki group. 56 consumers have been connected up, whilst the original group has increased to 90 consumers.

Messrs Eeles and Co. are making good progress with the Paraparaumu group and will be finished some time next we'ek. The Te Horo-Hautere Cross group is progressing very well and should be completed within a fortnight. Group canvassing has been completed in the Shannon-Tokomaru district, and tenders for the two groups close to-day. Waikanae group tenders are submitted herewith, and th'e lowest tender — that of Messrs Lunn and Henley, of Levin, is recommended for acceptance. Attached is a schedule of the lead analysis to date, which shows that 138 new consumers have been livened up during the month. The largest consumers connected have been Messrs Ross, Rough and Company, Foxton, 70 h.p., DalzelPs mill, 25 h.p., Seifert's mill, 20 h.p.; additional 20 ranges have been tested and delivered to various users. Tenders and Contracts. Messrs Samuel Brown, Ltd., supply and delivery of bare copper wire, first portion is being forward this week. Complete quantities are due early next month. Messrs Tumbull and Jones, Ltd., and Samuel Brown, Ltd., have delivered the electric ranges under contract 29, and will be completed when a few small breakages have been made good. Messrs A. D. Riley and Co., Ltd., have completed their contract for the supply and delivery of 11,000 volt insulators and pins. Messrs Cory-Wright and Salmon have delivered 60 motors out of 150 to be supplied under their contract. The Allum Electrical Company have delivered maximum demand indicators in part execution of their contract. Messrs Richardson, McCabe and Co. notify that owing to the strike in Australia they have not been able to keep dates in the supply, of poles. They state that a large shipment, possibly the lot, will be despatched at the end of this month.

General.—Owing to the large increase of electric ranges and water heating business —greater than expected, we find that operations, owing to want of transport, are being retarded. I would therefore recommend that the chairman and myself be authorised to go into this matter with power to act in the purchase of two more light lorries. We may be able to postpone purchase of one of the lorries for a month or two, but one is required immediately. During the past month we have had to hire a large amount of transport., and this lias worked out unsatisfactory.

In moving the adoption of the engineer's report, the chairman stated that as was mentioned by the engineer it would be necessary to get a small lorry for transport. He noticed thai the dairy factory group was practically completed, and was, he understood, working satisfactorily. The engineer stated that the only case in which there had been trouble was Tokomaru, where the capacity of the freezer had been increased without notifying the Board of the fact, with the result that the strain was greater than the motor installed could carry. A new motor would have to be installed but this would be at the <•<>*• of the factory. The report was adopted.