TREE MENACE TO ELECTRIC LINES

Shannon News, 20 March 1925, Page 1

TREE MENACE TO ELECTRIC LINES

POWER BOARD’S POWERS. A CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION. At this week’s meeting of the Horowiienuu Power Board, a letter was received from Mr A. J. Robinson complaining of the manner in which trees on his place had been felled by the Board’s staff. These had been cut off 12ft in height, although lie had stipulated that tney should be cut axe-handle high. He had now received notice from the County Council to remove the tops from, the side of the road, and asked what the Board’s intentions were in regard to the matter. An earlier letter on this matter had asked for £350 compensation lor damage done.

Information from the 'Board’s officers was that Mr Robinson had instructed them to cut the trees. A letter to this effect had been sent, suggesting that she should have complained to the men doing the work, and stepped them if hot satisfactory. The Engineer (Mr T. Overton) said that some of the trees were rather awkward to fe.li, and had they been out down, too low there would have been' danger of them falling on a cottage. He stated that the Board had been too lenient in regard to people wishing to save their trees. They had had three shut-downs up-to-date owing to trees blowing across the lines in the Foxton district. Mr Barber moved that the account for the cutting of the trees be sent in to Mr. Robinson. If he wished to carry it any, further, that was his affair.

It decided to serve notice on the owners of Rees endangering the lines throughout the district to have same cut down, or topped, Cr. Barber in moving the resolution instancing the serious fatality which recently occurred in the Waikato district horn this cause. The matter was too serious to take risks with. Mr A. A. Ross said that be doubted if the Board could compel people to cut down trees, although probably die Board might do the work themselves.

Mr A. .Seifert said that he thought that the Board should, do the work, it was often, difficult for small farmers to gei men to do the work. Personally he sympathised sincerely with the man whose'trees were destroyed and who was then asked to pay lor the work.

The Engineer suggested that notice be served on owners of trees which endangered the line, and if they failed to do so, they be proceeded against in the event <otf the trees damaging the line. • Mr A. Brown said that the damage which might he done by trees was beyond estimate. 11 a tree fell on the line it might hold up industry throughout the district, and furthermore when such an obstruction were removed and the power came on suddenly it was possible that men working among the machinery might be caught. The motion as suggested was carried.