BOROUGH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1919, Page 7

BOROUGH ELECTRICAL SUPPLY.

ENGINEER'S ANNUAL REPORT. In the course of his annual report to the New Plymouth Borough Council, the electrical engineer (Mr. R. H. Bartlev) after referring to the extreme degree "to which war conditions had affected electrical supply generally, and the increasingly heavy demands for power, says: "I have in hand various enquiries - for the electrifying of works now using steam and gas plants, and all of these will come over as soon as we are in a position to give the required power. This aspect has been fully dealt with by the Council on several occasions during the year, and measures adopted, wherebv this power can and will be supplied in the near future." The progress made by the electricity supply department during the year is illustrated by the following figures and records :—There have been 176 new consumers connected to the mains and 63 additions to existing consumers' installations, the increased installed capacity being 453 k.w., as against 312 k.w. for the previous year. The plant capacity at the powerhouse has been extended by the installation of another 250 k.w. alternator and turbine.

The intake on the Waiwakaiho river has required considerable attention, due principally to abnormal river conditions. The river has been in flood, much more than is generally the case, and very large quantities of sand and ahingle have been deposited at the mouth of the intake and in the intake race and dam. This had all to be removed, increasing the cost of maintenance. I attribute the major portion of this trouble to the removing of boulders higher up the river, and also to a great amount of erosion that lias taken place along the river banks in the upper regions of the river. The trading section of the electricity supply department has been maintained under difficulties and no very strkiing results can be expected, or are thev possible, with the limited stocks available, together with the extremely high prices. 5