POWER FOR ALL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 452, 6 September 1928, Page 13

POWER FOR ALL

POSITION AT HORAHORA ENGINEER URGES CARE (From Our Oicn Correspondent.) HAMILTON, Wednesday. Provided reasonable care is exercised no great incovenience should result from the Fire at the Horohora transformer station, according to Mr. T. MacLennan, district electrical engineer, at a conference of power boards to-day. Representatives of the Thames Valley, Franklin. Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Central and Waitomo Power Boards, the Hamilton Borough Council and the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, were present. Mr. MacLennan said that if consumers tried to take power when it was not available there would bo lowered voltage and an unsatisfactory service, and it was desirable that this should be avoided. In three weeks further plant would be available at Horahora, and then conditions would be practically normal. It was agreed that power boards should advise their consumers that if the voltage in any locality became weak restrictions would be imposed with respect to the use -of less-essen-tial equipment. The opinion was expressed that consumers other than farmers should use as little electricity as possible between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., the milking hours, and that milking should commence an hour' earlier.

By these means it was expected that a minimum of inconvenience would be caused during the three weeks that would elapse before normal conditions were expected to prevail. Mr. MacLennan paid a great tribute to the excellent spirit in which the Auckland Power Board had met the situation. Without question it made available imediately what power it could, and its assistance had been invaluable. He also spoke in terms of highest commendation of the splendid work done by the Hamilton Fire Brigade. The members worked heroically, at great personal risk, and everybody who saw them was greatly impressed by their operations.