THE ELECTRIC LIGHT DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 312, 9 January 1908, Page 3

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT DEPARTMENT.

It is not yet two years since the electric light current was first switched on trom the Borough Council's poweritutiou to the New Plymouth streets and town Hull. The event was marked by i formal ceremony, and it was then prophesied that the iliumiiunt would ►ecome immensely popular in the town. I Some people went ho far as in say th ;t .he lighting department would have a •urines* so extensive that it would he , .iece*sary "omr day to increase the plau<. .Ind they were laughed at for their r>aina. But in New Plymouth, a* in every other town where thi* moder't illuminant has been instilled, the ebvric light surely and rapidly forged its way into public favor. Soon it became apparent that the machinery was inadequate to cope with the demand, and in ihe middle of last winter, when the n'flht* made consumption very brisk, the Klectric Lighting Committee wa« at its wits' end-* to know how to keep the j (imtorner 3 -upplied and the -treet> lightI. And Ktill there were new connec- J

I linn' being made every day. Hut we ;|.|- ti'*ipatc. Seeing that 1 lit' demand was '-"'in- t» exceed the capacity of the plant, the Klectric Light Committee ta'ned the sanction of the ratepayers lo burrow a further sum of motley to duplicate the producing-powcr at the power house and to enable the Council to accede to the requests for the extension of the electric light mains to Vogeltown and the harbor. extensions have lieen carried out, and the generating plant doubled. The new machinery was set in motion just before the opening of the new year. Such is the tale of the eipansion of the electric light business, which promises to lie, and already * profitable investment of the loaa moneys. There have been drawbacks. [ of course. The councillors were not electricians, and they had to depend on their advisers. The Original scheme proposed was not big enough, although it «cenied to absorh a biggish sum of money. The municipality had to make two liltes at a cherry, and even now the whole of the fruit hasn't been bitten off. Cnder the guidance of .Mr. Black, the electrical engineer, numerous alterations and economies have been effected. The streets are 1 now well lighted, and private consumers ; of the energy both for lighting and ' power are well satisfied with the manner ■ in which tin- Council is carrying out its ' "hare of the contract. The demand is

"till increasing. But 1 here's this awkward fix. There'ii a wire or main from th" power-station at Mangoici, where

the current is generated, to the distri-buting-station, from which the town lighting ie managed. At one end of the line is a plant capable of producing a certain amount of electricity, rather more than is actually needed now. At the town end is a public which in the Muter months is going to want every unit of electricity that the Council can supply. And in between those two points Is a main or line that cannot carry the load. There's a big wa«te of current owing to the line being overloaded. The town can't afford that waste. How to avoid itt Erect a suitable main. And that's the point. The Electric Light Committee is at the end of its resources. More money is needed. It is in the position of a * steamboat engined to produce a speed of twenty knots an hour, but, having not enough coal to keep up the requisite head of J steam, she dawdles along at about ten knots an hour, and 19 thus losing profits that her owners should have. No business can nin properly if it is undercapitalised. This electric light department want* capital. The demand for light is increasing, and the power load, too. is going up. X«w street-lamps are being asked for and provided. The Borough Council has electricity for sale. But It is out at Mangorei, and if it is btought into town on the present wire a lot of it must escape and be lost. And even when it is brought to town, material ia wanted for conveying it to the consumers. This is one aspect of the business that has to be considered By ratepayers to-night at the meeting called to coaiider the loan proposals which were recently ratified by the Borough Council. We hope to see a good attendance and searching discussion.

Yesterday afternoon Hie Worship the Mayor and Councillors Brown (chairman), C. T. Mills, and G. Coleman (membe."."* of the Electric Lighting Committee), accompanied by Mr. 11. Black (electrical engineer lo the Borough Council), viM' ;d the municipal electric light power-house and distributing-sta-tion to inspect the recent additions ami alu-ratioiu to the plant. At the powerhouse at Mangorei, Mr. SandilaiiiK power-house engineer, showed the party over the station. The new machinery consists of a 27-inch double-discharge turbine capable of developing 150 h.p. on the head of water available, coupled to a 00-kilowatt single-phase generator, and a 20 h.p. turbine direct coupled to a 12-kilowatt exciter. The original plant consisted of two turbipee coupled to two 45-kilowatt alternators, and two exciters. Tbese were fed frojn a 21-inch water main brought from the waterworks tunnel on the hill above. The new machine, which has a capacity equal to the two original machines, is driven by water from a main of similar dimensions, and, on account of the forethought of the electrical engineer, is able to discharge into the same tail-race. With the three machines in operation over 1000 cubic feet of water per minute is used in developing the necessary power. By a thoughtful adjustment of the mains, provision is made for interchange of work in case of necessity.

la order to accommodate the new machinery, the power-house had to be enlarged, the Work of extension being carried out by Mr. K. W. Bond as pontraetor, under the supervision of the borough engineer, Mr. A. H. Kendall, who prepared the plans. Space is provided for the installation of another machine if required at any future time. The work of conveying the water to the power-house was done by Mr. Kendall's staff. All the alterations of the wiring apparatus, switchboards, the erection of the machines, fitting of pipe connections —iu fact, all the work within the powerhouse and the substation—were carried out by the borough electrical staff, and without in any way interfering with the supply of current to the town. This work was under the immediate supervision of the borpugh electrical engineer. The actual woric of erecting the machines was in the capable hands of Mr. Sandilands.

D'Ke new machine wa6 set in motion yesterday for the delectation of the visitors. All went well, but the roar of the turbine was deafening, conversation being practically impossible in the building whilst the machine was in motion, j Comment was made u[K>n the absolute cleanliness of the station and all its appointments. The switehlward from the substatiin has been erected at the power-house, and a new one at the distributing-station. A checking system has now been introduced to prevent any irregularity in the recording of consumers' current. Every circuit has its own panel on the switchboard, and the street-lighting is worke(l separately. So exact je tljp pajyigcmcpt here that ft is quickly seen if even one

lamp on a circuit is out, and in that case a man ia sent out to locate and remedy the defect.