POWER BOARDS ENGINEERS.

Shannon News, 25 August 1925, Page 3

POWER BOARDS ENGINEERS.

, CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON

I In the course' of his report to the ■ llorowhenua Power Board this week, • the Consulting Engineer (Mr Over- ■ ton) said;— I A conference of Power Board Enr gineers was held for two days prior i to the annual power "hoards eonfer- . ence and a large amount of business ' was discussed. In the first instance Hie conference was called for the purpose of revising and bringing more up to date the regulations and by-Jaws winch are enforced hv the Government in respect of the supply

of electricity. All oi the regulations section 2, of the Public Works Act were reviewed arid many alterations have been suggested which are to be finally dealt with by the Department before being gazetted. It is hoped as a result of the recommendations made that the work of Power Boards and Electrical Supply authorities will be made less expensive and no less efficient. Considerable trouble has been experienced in the past in regard to the inconsistency of Government Departments, for instance the Post and Telegraph Department require certain standard construction for crossings, while the Hiailway Department require quite a different thing and the types of lines telegraph and telephone are the same

in each Department. The Engineers' Conference took strong exception to this sort of treatment and it is nowleft with the Chief Telegraph Engineer, the Chief Railway Electrical Engineer, and the Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Depart-

ment to bring down uniform standards of construction which will be suitable to both Departments. The matter of payment for alterations required by the Telegraph Department, to permit of their lines being erected subsequent to the erection of the power lines drew a good deal of discussion, and it was agreed by the Chief Telegraph Engineer that these charges should be remitted and on

behalf of this Board certain credits will now be claimed. The chairman said the Engineers' Conference had more value than the conference of the Power Board representatives because the latter had no technical knowledge. Mr Overton said another matter discussed was the guarantee required for consumption. When a consumer demanded a supply of power in a remote district he could be charged on a basis of 20 per cent, of the capital cost of the extension. A consumer could ask the Board to take the line to the top of the Tararuas, if he was willing to pay this charge. The new rate proposed was 12$ per cent, per year, on the capital cost of the line, plus the actual cost of the power to the Board. When new consumers came on the line the Board could give a rebate or cancel the guarantee. Mr Ross asked where the Board would get its profit. The Engineer said the Board was not supposed to' make a profit. The Wj per cent, covered overhead-work-ing expenses, interest and sinking fund.