ELECTRIC POWER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 September 1941, Page 6

ELECTRIC POWER

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA BOARD RESTRICTIONS TO CONTINUE. ANNOUNCEMENT BY CONTROLLER (“Times-Age” Special.) The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board was held at Carterton today. The chairman, Mr A. C. Pearce, presided. There were also present: Messrs J. W. Colquhoun, F. C. Daniell, H. P. Hugo (Masterton), E. C. Holmes, W. A. Tate. M. B. Tait (Lower Valley) and G. W. Hart (Carterton). An apology for absence was received from. Mr W. H. Booth. The Electricity Controller wrote stating that the board would be required to continue within a restricted increase of 7 per cent on the number of units of electricity sold for the same period last year. In reporting that the power used last month was just within the limit set by the Electricity Controller, the Secre-tary-Manager, Mr Geo. Brown, stated that some boards were not restricting the use of power as the Wairarapa beard was doing. “There is some excuse for the Hutt Power Board on account of the increase in industries and the lighting of Trentham Camp,” said Mr Brown. “People who go to Wellington and see Neon signs burning, and see them burning in the Hutt, too, come back to a black-out in the Wairarapa and quite rightly take exception.”

In reply to a question by Mr Hart, Mr Brown stated that a curious position existed concerning the use of steel conduit. Advice had been received from the Housing Department that only wooden conduit could be used. In the Masterton store there were some four or five thousand feet of steel conduit and the electricity stores in Wellington had huge stocks. Although the wooden conduit was reasonably safe its use was a retrogade step. Mr Brown pointed out, however, that the restriction was due to the British Government blocking the export of steel pipes. The Education Board, Wellington, wrote advising that an experimental hot water electrical unit would bo installed at the Opaki School.