N.Z. SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1917, Page 7

N.Z. SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

QUARTERLY MEETING. ' Tlio quarterly mooting or tlio Tars'nalir provincial committee of fh' above Soeion was licld in tlie Soldiers' Club, iMiifr street, New Plymouth, ,m Tun('".v. l"tl' iil>l. The pro-ceding open- ''<! 'U 11.30 a.m., thlic lollowin.. momI'cr.s being present :-\los.srs V. Siuslinni, C.I-.. (chairman), 11. ||. sharp, A.M.1.C.K., E. C Hubiiison, M.\Z. Jnst Sur., 1,. C. Sladden, M.X.Z, lust. Siir., A. 11. Palmer. M.X.Z. Inst. Sur., W. 11. Cook, C.E., ami C. H. Lawn, A.M. Aust Inst. Mm. Engs, (secretary). Mr. R II Hartley, A.M.1.E..E,, A.M.I. Mech. E., at-tt-ntlcd by invitation. Apologies for non-attendance were received from the piesident (Mr. R. W. Holmes M.1.C.E.), Mr. <!. H. Bullard, Chief Surveyor, and Mr. R. S Thompson, A.M.f.C.E.

The Mayor (Mr. C. IF. Buragc=s) welcomed the engineers to .\ow Plvmoiith on behalf of the readouts of tiie boiougli, and said that Ik trusted the iiieeliiig would prove a pleasurable and profitable one tij ail attending. The chairman thanked the Mayor for his Kindly remarkc.

ilontiiio busbies;. ".i connection with the- Society was then gone through. I'smite to i.hc next genera; meeting of the Society it be held in February next «cvo di-cussed. The pareiu bod'v will ho asked ;o pUec the qualifications of members enlisting for active service lielore tin; Defend authorities, with the view, that the technical value oi the services of the:c men should not be lost .".iglit of.

The question of superannuation in its relation to local bodies c, f a: discussed, but no recommendation va:; made, aj Hie matter v\is already before the exccutivo.'

Tin, I'miniKin •welcomed by \V ... Cook (member), who had ic-ceiitlv come to this district as borough cngknoi to ■-w Plymout!. I!c also welcomed Mr. K. }',. Ifertley, the borough clcctric.,l engineer, to .he mcetiiiE. Air Cook suitably Vplicd, :-,nd Mr. Bartlty also replied, and, with a view to the vic-ii to the worts later In (be day) gave a technical oiillJno af the electrical supply; detailing tin. water-power, turbines, generators, transformers and accumulators in connection with the plant. All'. Pladden gave some- of tlit earlier history ot the water supply, describing some of (lie engineering diiUciiltie.:.

i'hi subject oi ''Economies o' roadmaking" was gone into, tu.d two inieiosiing papers were read, one by Hi F. Bniili.iiii, and tin, other by Air. E. C. P.obiihin. The former gentleman '.ave experience in the matter J doing workunder loan proposals di-'cudng Hit life of the work, maintenance costn, the mailer of long-term ..ml short-term loans with linking fund return, referring also to i:ie economical hn.l values of iheapoi' ami ordinary method:! in cr.ipnrison with more costly and more substantial method.; ~nd material'. The value of having ■• roads board established i.i the Dominion foi the approval of loan-, and methoda ut work wa pointed out, inasmuch that it would ;afcguir'd the. coinr.iur-.ity to the extent that uV work would be doiw by cor :■ et a.i:l elilcient method!! under <|unlified supervision. Thi. 1 paper opened up i|iK"tio:r. 0,. which much could he said, and the .rath:'.; pave his \ ; '.;V,v. ajid judgment in ..a aid: l manlier. The second paper outlined the general principles governing the forming of roads, differentiating the renuirements of locality, nature of country passed through, and trafiic likely to come upon the roads within a certain time. The writer gave his opinion that the control of .small governing l bodies was not economic..! in the matter o: -..clministration, that wiici'e larger local bouie: existed administration costs were reduced. The matters of materials A construction and systems of working were touched on, also the efficiencies o. road bases anil wearing surfaces. The paper advocated efficient supervision and complete and up-to-date plant, .with wellselected materials, as being some of the main factors contributing to good and permanent work: finally pointing' out Hint, to meet the present-day reotiiK-ment-.i as regards road service, .heap work in construction should Ik disvonraged, as if. would prove more itistl; in the lung urn. A general discussion of noil: papers was gone into, the main speakers being Messrs Dowsetc, Cook, Sladdeu and •Sharp. A hearty vote of thank", was accorded 'Messrs Tiasliarn and .iiibinson for their papers. The subject was far from exhausted, and a further discussion will be carried on at (he next meeting, which, it was decided; will be held in Eltlmni in April.

A hearty vote of thanks war. accorded to the Borough Council for the arrangements made for the use of the meeting-room, for the privilege of visiting the electrical and water supply works, and the services of the gentlemen in .'barge of same in conducting the visit or inspection.

A vote of thanks to the press for .past favors was also carried. After a luncheon adjournment the visiting engineers were shown over the distributing station of electrical supply in Liardot street, where Mr. Hartley described the working of the. plant and the methods of transforming and accumulating the current. From this place the visitors proceeded to the head-works, where Mr. Hartley further explained matters in connection with the intake at W.uwakaibo river, the tunnel, forebay, generating plant and conductors for the electrical supply In this locality the, visitors were shown over the reservoir and filter works by Mr Cook, who explained and demonstrated the methods adopted in the purilic.ation of the water. Much interest was hhown in the various parts of the works passed over, and the visitors, one and all, expressed the pleasure they had received in making Hie tour of the works. The meeting was a success in 'very way, and the continuance of such meetings will be of great benefit to the members of the Society and consequently to the community of the province.