POWER BOARD WAGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 August 1940, Page 6

POWER BOARD WAGES

ALL EMPLOYEES GIVEN INCREASE

“TREND TOWARDS VICIOUS CIRCLE.”

GOOD WORK ON FEEDER EXTENSION.

(“Times-Age” Special.)

The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board was held at Carterton today. The chairman, Mr A. Campbell Pearce presided. There were also present: Messrs J. W. Colquhoun, F. C. Daniell, H. P. Hugo, W. Howard Booth, J. C Holmes, M. B. Tait and W. A. Tate. An apology for absence was received from Mr S. Dalgleish.

The chairman referred to the illness of Mr Dalgleish and it was decided to send him a letter of sympathy and wish him a speedy recovery. Accounts amounting to £5,161 were passed. It was decided to pay all employees who were not covered by an award the increase of 5 per cent. The Managing-Secretary, Mr George Brown, stated that the total wages paid amounted to £14,830. By the court order, an extra £742 would have to be found by the board made up as follows: —Out of revenue, £425; trading department, £217; loan account, £5O; depreciation, £5O. Further, in order to maintain the necessary balance between those members of the staff not subject to awards and whose wages totalled £3909 the sum of £195 was required. The total cost to the board was: Compulsory increase, £742; grant, £195; making £937. Members considered the trend of the increase as being towards a vicious circle.

In reply to a question by Mr Booth concerning the prevalence of termites in the poles imported from Australia, Mr H. B, Keenan, Chief Engineer, stated that none had been found in the Wairarapa poles. He said preventive measures were taken and that the ironbark poles used were not affected to the same extent as other hardwood poles. Mr Keenan paid tribute to the work of the men employed on the erection of a duplicate feeder to Masterton from the Waingawa sub-station, in which 3,000 volt lines were changed to 11,000 volt lines. "The men were on a highly dangerous, difficult job and did it well without inconvenience to the consumers, or accidents,” stated Mr, Keenan.