OVERHANGING TREES.

Shannon News, 18 June 1926, Page 3

OVERHANGING TREES.

INTERFERENCE WITH POWER LINES, Reporting to the Horowhenua Power Board yesterday, the. Engineer (Mr J. A. Smith) said: “Owing to the stormy weather experienced during the early part of this period, a considerable amount of patrolling was necessary. During the heavy easterly gale .on May 21st., trees came in contact with the line at Fairfield early in the morning. These were cleared without delay, and a short length of wire had to he put in an account of damage. These trees have been cut back to avoid further trouble.” Mr W. E. Barber asked what such delays cost the Board. The Engineer informed Mr Barber that the owner of the trees in question had borne the cost of trimming his trees. Mr Barber considered that the engineer should have a general investigation made right throughout the district, and that, where necessary, trees be cut down. The interference caused by falling branches and trees meant a loss of time and efficiency, necessitating a revision of the whole service.

The chairman observed that the Board was not having suoh a terrible difficulty with the tree problem. Of course, land-owners must realise that the onus was on them, and not the Board, in keeping trees cut well back from power lines. When the lines were first constructed, the trees throughout the district had been cut, but they had grown a good deal since.

Cr. Barber said that where the efficiency of the service was involved, the Board should support the Engineer in every way, and if such interruptions' in service occurred, say, during the milking season, they would he a great inconvenience to- dairy farmers who, if obliged to milk by hand, would not appreciate the “break.” Efficiency in giving service was of more import than a few trees. The Chairman: We don’t want to show a weakness, but at the same time we must not be arbitrary. The engineer was instructed to serve notice on all land-owners whose trees are encroaching and becoming a menace to the Board’s lines, to cut back such trees, failing which the work shall be carried out at the owner’s expense.